st nick and the dowries
la befana
Once upon a time, Santa Claus was unknown in the poor regions of southern Italy. He was imported from America, wearing the colours of Coca-Cola, in much more recent times, and passed off as the relative to St Nicholas, who was the man that anonymously threw three bags of gold into a window of a poor family so that the three daughters could be married honourably, and who was therefore equated with the generosity of spirit and of material goods that Christmas is known for. Until Santa Claus, children would wait in anticipation on the night of January 5 for La Befana to come on her broom, sneak down their chimneys, eat the cakes and sweets they left for her, and fill their socks with delicious gifts.
La Befana, a poor old woman herself, gives even the poorest of children presents as a reminder of the lavish gifts presented to the baby Jesus (who wasn't the richest of babies). She reminds me of the drummer boy, who was so poor that all he had to offer was a song, which in the end (I'd like to think) was probably more meaningful than some frankincense or myrrh.
La Befana vien di notte
con le scarpe tutte rotte
col vestito alla "romana"
viva viva la Befana !!
Porta cenere e carboni
ai bambini cattivoni
ai bambini belli e buoni
porta chicchi e tanti doni !
La Befana comes at night
In tattered shoes
Dressed in the Roman style
Long live la Befana!!
She brings cinders and coals
To the naughty children
To the good children
She brings sweets and lots of gifts.
diasporic relic?
2 comments:
I like La Befana better than Santa Claus. In my mind, turning St. Nicholas into an amiable, globetrotting secular elf is an enormous disservice to the real Nicholas of Myra, who was much more interesting. This year I seriously considered writing an alternate version of "Twas the Night before Christmas" in which the bemused, Norman Rockwell family of the original is greeted by a belligerent Turkish bishop in full regalia who lectures them on the need to extirpate heresy.
Only you. He had his jolly moments though! He could be quite generous with his wealth. The Rockwell contingent might do well to listen.
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