APH: 2011-01-06 - Chi hai chiamato 'Befana'?

Someone called FemVeneziano and FemRomano with a name that doesn't quite suit them. Or does it? ^_-

Translation:

"Chi hai chiamato 'Befana'?": 'Who did you call 'Befana'?'
"'Befana' a chi?": 'Befana' to whom?

Extra note:

History:
In Italian folklore, on Epiphany Eve (the night in between January 5 and 6), the Befana, an old woman, will delivers gifts to good children throughout Italy, filling their socks with candy and presents if they were good or a lump of coal if they were bad. In the past there was the custom to leaves a small glass of wine and a plate with a few morsels of food for her.
Back in the past there were no gift given during Christmas so children usually waited for the Befana for presents (though is some zones of Italy there were other figurs bringing gifts).

Usually the Befana is represented like a ugly, old woman, dressed with poor clothes or clothes similar to the ones of a witch and a broomstick (which she can ride through the air). Some wants her clothes to be black, or merely covered in soot because in the old times she was used to enter the children's houses through the chimney (now modern houses usually have no chimney anymore so she either gets in through the door or the window or the balcony).

The Befana might look like a ugly witch but, according to one of the most popular legends about her, she was merely an old woman who was a particularly good housekeeper. The Magi visitd her asking her were they could find Jesus, she didn't know but she hosted them for a while. When they left they asked her if she wanted to come with them but she said she couldn't because she had to finish cleaning her house. However later she changed her mind and she too decided to brig gifts to child Jesus. According to some versions she couldn't find Him so she's still searching for Him, according to some other she found Him and He was so pleased with her He gave her the duty to bring gifts to the children of all the world.

The name 'Befana' comes from the word 'Epifania' (Epiphany).

According to some the Befana descended from the Sabine/Roman goddess named Strénia/Strenua. From this godness name come the Italian word 'Strenna' (Christmas gift). Why? Because in ancient Roma's time during the Saturnalia, a festivity that went from 17 to 23 december in honor of the god Saturn, people was used to exchange gifts.

For children the coming of the Befana usually means Christmas holiday are ended in fact, in Italy school holidays usually start the 23 of December and end the 6 of January.

During the Ephiphany Eve and Ephiphany out of late girls have fun exchanging funny SMS in which they imply who receive the message is the Befana or that they all are the Befana and have to go together to give presents to the children. However if you're a boy calling a girl 'Befana', is considered as offensive as if you were calling her a 'Old Ugly Witch' (Now you can understand why the Italies reacted like that in my pic! ^_-).

There are assorted poetries and songs about the Befana. Even Giovanni Pascoli, an important Italian poet, wrote a poem about her, 'La Befana'.