The Legend of La Befana

<p>&ldquo;There is no Santa Claus in Italy,&rdquo; my Nana told me when I was a kid.<br /> I had nightmares of how awful Christmas must be over there.<br /> Nana said she had to wait until January 6, The Feast of the Epiphany, to get gifts. The presents came from an old crone with a hairy mole on her chin who rode around on a broom. She was called&nbsp;<em>La Befana</em>.</p> <p>Many years later, I was in Rome&rsquo;s Piazza Navona, at the Epiphany Fair. It was two weeks after Christmas, but the holiday celebrations were still in full swing. Bernini&rsquo;s Fountain of the Four Rivers was surrounded by stands covered in twinkling white lights, selling sweets, ornaments, and roasted pork sandwiches.</p> <p><a href="https://susanvanallen.medium.com/the-legend-of-la-befana-88a0ee6eb5c"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>
Tags: Legend Befana