The Befana. Christmas legend for children of Italian origin

In Spain, three wise men bring gifts to all the children every year on January 6th. But not in all countries does that tradition exist. In Italy, for example, la there is the witch Befana, a good witch who brings gifts to children for Christmas , just as the Three Wise Men do in other parts of the w

In Spain, three wise men bring gifts to all the children every year on January 6th. But not in all countries does that tradition exist. In Italy, for example, la there is the witch Befana, a good witch who brings gifts to children for Christmas , just as the Three Wise Men do in other parts of the world or Santa Claus in many other countries.We tell you

the legend of Befana , a beautiful story to tell children at Christmas.The Befana, Christmas legend of the 'magician queen' of Italian children

The legend of the Befana, which is very old, but very old, tells that when the Magi brought presents for the Child Jesus to Bethlehem, They lost on the road. You know why?

The Magi lost for a moment the bright star that guided them , because very dark clouds hid their wake.The Kings, desperate,

began to ask all the people they met along the way . First he was a pastor, who did not know how to answer. 'A star?' The pastor asked, wondering ... 'If you can not see any with these clouds!'Walking along the same path, the Magi

met a child, who did not know how to answer his question either . 'There was a very bright star high in the sky, but I stopped seeing it a while ago, and my parents never told me where that place is that you are looking for ... Bethlehem? ... He never took me to that place' ...Reyes Magos continued asking different peasants of the place, but none of them knew how to answer ... and just when they were about to lose hope, when they began to think that they were really lost and would not arrive in time to see the baby Jesus,

they found an old woman with white hair and very dark clothes: La Befana .The children of the place were afraid of him,

and even called him 'witch Befana ', because she was always alone and walked with the help of an old broom in very long and mysterious ways.Well, it was just the old Befana the only one who could tell the three wise men what path to follow to Bethlehem, because from so much walking once the old Befana managed to get to Bethlehem.

To thank him for his help,

the three wise men invited the old woman to continue the journey with them to Bethlehem, but she refused. Later the old Befana, regretting having missed the opportunity to see the newborn, went in search of the Magi, but it was too late, and could not find them. It was then that he decided to give a candy to all the children who were on his way, hoping that some of them would be the Baby Jesus.

Since then, all the children receive a surprise or sweet gift from the elderly Befana at Christmas, in memory of the day on which the Baby Jesus was born.