Every year, the night before Epiphany, La Befana on her souped up broom soars across the winter sky. Which means, every January 5th Italian children across the world hang a stocking, cross their fingers that they’ve been good enough and go to bed keeping one eye open looking for the old woman on a broom who also has a “naughty or nice” list. Nice means candies and gifts are squirreled away in the stocking. Bad – carbone – black coal good only for tossing at the cat – sits there staring at the offender. Snappily dressed in a ratty shawl, babushka, stripped sox and long skirt, the nonnina (tiny nonna) arrives on the Festa dell’Epifania eve. Epiphany is a celebration of the Three Kings visiting the newborn Christ child.
Growing up in Somerset County New Jersey, when there were more horses than houses, I wasn’t surrounded by a neighborhood of Italians. My grandparents loved me, loved their subsistence farm and barely mentioned Italian traditions. I was probably in my fifties when I stumbled upon a magical book in a Morcone bookstore. The grinning, shabbily dressed old woman riding the broom and sporting a huge smile reached into my heart. I bought the book – it was written for six year olds so I could almost follow the Italian – and I became obsessed with La Befana. So obsessed that after midnight one January 6th, determined to see her zoom into our Flagtown farmhouse, I pried my eyelids open with toothpicks. My SLR camera was ready. Snap! I nailed her. Well not exactly – but this shadow tells the story!
I guess people on the “nice list” didn’t try to catch La Befana in the act. Not only was there no candy in my stocking, but not even a hunk of coal. I discovered, just a piece of straw from her broom taunting me from my empty scotch glass. That piece of straw reminded me that some mysteries and traditions are best just accepted. Not only accepted but embraced. Did you know that YouTube has hundreds of videos about this charming witchlike old lady? I do! I watched about a bazillion of them. (The WordPress police wouldn’t let me share any with you.)
Some say her name is a riff on the Roman dialect pronunciation of the Italian epifania. The theory I love is that she is really a Christian knockoff of Sabine (also known as “Strenia” and “Bastrina”) a Roman goddess of the new year, new beginnings.
Her back story is wonderful. This is the very short version. Living alone in the woods, she was visited by the lost Three Kings. She invites them to share her meager fare and they invite her to go with them to see the new born king. She bows out to use her handy broom and clean her little cabin. Then it hits her – a new born king! She ought to try to follow the Three Kings and visit the new babe. She doesn’t make it to Bethlehem and instead continues to visit Italian children on that blessed day. She is adored and celebrated everywhere.
La Befana crept into my psyche and I knew I couldn’t get relief unless I wrote a play that featured her. So I did and Next Stage Press published it last year. (The digital version is only $1. ) The play is looking for a production by a youth friendly theater or school. Give the Christmas Carol a season off and try something – Italian!
Mamma Mia – La Befana?! weaves the ancient Italian Epiphany tale, La Befana, into a contemporary American setting. Nonna comes to Vermont to spend Christmas with her daughter, Maria, and nipote (granddaughter) Mary. Arriving first was Nonna’s ancient magical moving and tweaking suitcase – filled, we discover, not with gifts but the ragged costume of La Befana.
On the eve of Epiphany, in response to this family crisis, young Mary determined to save the day, rides off to find their senator’s office and appeal for help. Texting while biking, she loses control and is hurt. With a severely injured leg, Mary drags herself to the San Rocco Church manger scene and keeps warm by burrowing into the straw. No one knows where she is but the entire town – including her three pals Bethany, Micah and Gaspar who recently played the Three Wise Men in the Christmas Pageant – searches for her.
Could the fun loving sixty-something Nonna from Florida really be the thousands of years old Italian La Befana? Every January 6th La Befana finds all the Italian children in the world and leaves them gifts. This January she found one very special Italo-Ameriana, her granddaughter Mary.
Buy a copy and enjoy the story. Then please let your drama teacher pals and theater for youth besties know about this special holiday tale.
Grazie Mille!
Nonna's Mulberry Tree 