Today is the feast of the Epiphany & I just discovered a new tradition I want to establish. The problem is, it will have to be delayed until next year because a) I found out about it too late and b) there is no time today what with dropping Steve off at the airport, going to the nursing home to visit MIL and going to the hospice place to visit BIL.
It seems that in Italy, La Befana goes around leaving candy for the good children and coal for the bad children. Now while that sounds very similar to Santa Claus, she doesn’t dress in red, ride in a sleigh and have a white beard. She traditionally looks like a Halloween witch with a broom.
According to the legend, the 3 kings stopped by to ask her for directions to baby Jesus. She put them up for the night and they went off the next day, asking if she wanted to join them. She said no, she has to clean. (Hmmm…. sounds kinda like my mother but sure isn’t anything I’d ever say. “What, a chance to go out?? I’m there!)
Later, she regretted her decision and went off trying to find the 3 kings and baby Jesus. She left candy for the good children because ya never know, one of them might be Him. Families leave out a glass of vino for La Befana.
From what I was reading, celebrating this holiday means eating. No surprise there, with it being an Italian tradition. Why didn’t our family celebrate this? I have decided to adopt this tradition so next year, there will be a 3 Kings Day feast.
January 6th, 2008 at 5:18 pm Quote
Next year when you have this celebration, will there also be vino at this fine feast? And will I be invited? If I promise to be a very, very good children this whole year?
January 7th, 2008 at 1:18 am Quote
If you’re going to celebrate with a Three Kings Day feast, then you probably should sponsor a Three Kings Day contest, too, and you can send candy to all the participants. Coal would be okay, too, if it were in the form of a charcoal pencil.
January 7th, 2008 at 9:49 am Quote
I had wanted to do a Christmas contest but that fell by the wayside due to all the crap we got hit with. I think a 3 King’s contest next year sounds like a great idea. Heh, it would be pretty funny to have, as the prize, dinner at my house.