Holidays Around the World: Italy

"Natale con tuoi, Capo D'Anno con chi vuoi."

"You celebrate the New Year with whomever you please, but you celebrate Christmas with your own." this old Italian verse truly expresses the strong feelings the Italian have for celebrating Christmas. in fact, Christmas is often described as the warmest, most intimate Italian holiday because it is a special time when family members get together to enjoy age-old traditions. on Christmas Eve, a ceremony takes place around the Presepio, a nativity scene of Bethlehem. then, after Midnight Mass, there is a cenone -- a delicious feast of rich Italian food.

children eagerly await presents brought to them by a good-hearted with called La Bafana. she is the Christmas gift-giver who climbs down chimneys to fill good children's shoes with treats. naughty children may find a lump of coal instead! unlike Santa Claus, who appears on Christmas Eve, La Bafana arrives on the eve of Epiphany (January 6). La Bafana supposedly wanders the countryside looking for Gesu Bambino (Baby Jesus) year after year, and leaves gifts just in case she finds Him. the legend of La Bafana tells of the three wise men who making their journey to visit the baby Jesus, bearing gifts. they stopped along the way & asked an old woman for food and drink, but the woman refused, so the Magi kept on walking. some time after they had gone, the woman realized what she had done, but it was too late because the Magi had gone. she had lost her opportunity to help the wise men, as well as a chance to travel with them to see the Christ Child. now it is said that she disguises herself as a good witch who rides on a broomstick looking for the baby Jesus, leaving treats for children along her way.