Santa has different names around the world -- Kris Kringle in Germany, Le
Befana in Italy, Pere Noel in France, DeushkaMoroz (Grandfather Frost) in Russia and Kanakaloka in Hawaii.
One stocking story does not attribute the tradition to Santa, but to a kindhearted Italian witch named "La
Befana." La
Befana arrives on a broomstick the night of January 5 and fills the stockings of good children with sweet treats and toys.
Si presenta cosi al lettore, come in Speranzella, la realta dei vicoli, abitati da una umanita miserevole, oppressa da problemi--determinati anche dalla disoccupazione (Scenata)--di carattere economico (La
Befana di Sebastiano Criscuolo), che spingono ad azioni al limite della ragionevolezza (Il veleno), e vittima dell'incuria, dell'indifferenza delle istituzioni (Il crollo), di cui essa, pero, si fa gioco (Barba e capelli), quando e possibile (Scusate, Eccellenza!).
7. In Italy, people tell the story of La
Befana, a woman who decided not to go with the three kings on their trip to Bethlehem.
Santa has different names around the world - Kriss Kringle in Germany, Le
Befana in Italy, Pere Noel in France and Deushka Moroz (Grandfather Frost) in Russia.
| Santa Claus has different names around the world - Kriss Kringle in Germany, Le
Befana in Italy, Pere Noel in France and Deushka Moroz (Grandfather Frost) in Russia.
The Legend of Old
Befana: An Italian Christmas Story
The stories range from the Dutch Sinterklass to the Norse god Wodan to Italy's
Befana, an old woman who delivers gifts through the chimney--and in Western culture, to the Santa we know so well.