Posted By Mary Freeland on December 21, 2009

Whether your children have grown past their belief in Santa Claus or you’re just looking to add a splash of Italian ambience to your Christmas this year, celebrating the Tuscan tradition of La Befana is a fun way to fill your stockings. Although much of Europe is visited by Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas like American homes, in Italy it is La Befana who leaves presents for all the good children. This kind woman of folklore is said to fill good children’s socks with candy and presents and leave only coal or ashes for naughty little kids. In Italy today, almost all children receive a lump of “coal:” this black colored rock candy is a reminder that all children are occasionally bad at least once during the year!

According to legend, the three magi took shelter at La Befana’s home on their journey to find the newborn Jesus. They asked for directions to find Bethlehem, but she did not know where it was. Having enjoyed her hospitality, the three kings invited La Befana to join them in their quest for the Christ child, but she chose to stay home and finish her housework instead. Regretting her decision later, she went after the magi, but was unable to find Jesus or the kings. To this day she continues to seek them, leaving candies and presents for the good children in honor of the baby king and leaving only coal for the bad children to encourage them to behave better next year.

La Befana is typically depicted as an old lady with a broomstick, a reference to her housework in the legend. Like Santa, she enters homes through the chimney and is subsequently often shown covered in soot.

So why not hang your stockings for La Befana instead of St. Nick this year—it’s a festive way to bring authentic Italian traditions into your Tuscan home.

For the latest Tuscan accents and furnishings, don’t forget to visit Tuscan Home Décor and Design!

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: tuscan, Tuscan decor, Tuscan home decor