Christmas leftovers

"Someday, someday I will have a Christmas tree in every room."   "I will have all of my lights put up on the house before the first cold weather."  though I have come awfully close, neither is a goal I have realised...yet. 

It is all part of the Season of Christmas, which by my reckoning runs from roughly December 5th through Epiphany on Jan 6.

I wonder at people who have the tree and all the trimmings put away before they have finished all the leftovers from Christmas dinner. 

The days after December 25th are the ones I enjoy most, a time to savor  a Christmas cookie or three in front of the tree, while listening to  "What if  Mozart wrote  "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas"", or my favorite carols played on hammered dulcimer.  The exuberance, or the ringle jingle as my little one used to  call it, of Renaissance Christmas music.

 

 

Lost in the reminiscences of Christmas past, the hope for Christmas futures, and the warmth of Christmas present.  I can sit on the sofa and watch the tree for a very long time.   

For all of the rushing and excitement one day is just not enough time, it is a celebration with more subtle meanings than can be savored in one day.  By the time the Three kings have made their visit, I am ready for the season to end.

The cards are read, the movies watched and rewatched,  the new ornaments hung on the tree with the old favorites. and it is time.  We have honored all of the traditions, filled our sense sand warmed our hearts and hopefully the hearts of those around us.   Before us are the long nights and cold and snowy days remaining  in January and February.  By the time the first crocus of  March blooms Christmas will seem so far behind us, or so far in the future, most of use won't give it a though, and in the summer swelter, we might either wish for  the refreshing chill or rejoice that it  is still well in the future.  As the leaves begin turning and we select that perfect pumpkin to carve into a Jack-O-lantern we might glance at the calender and reassure ourselves we still have plenty of time.  NOT until the first snowflakes???

 

 

 

 

Then it is time to carefully pack away the tinsel and trappings.   The brightly colored lights that  shine through the early evening darkness on the drive home warm the deepest part of ones heart and soul.  Are all too soon left off and will only be turned on by mistake, then quickly turned out, may-be.   

 

La Befana, did meet the Three Kings

~~unknown

On the night of January 5th the 3 Kings aided by their camels always brought us gifts, sometimes the big gifts arrived on Dec 25th and sometimes they were reserved for the 3 Kings, who liked to leave things in your shoes, and if you were bad their camel left something in your shoes.  In Italy it is La Befana, who is brings the gifts that usher out the Christmas season.K
Sometimes we called it "Little Christmas", and sometimes Epiphany, but one thing was sure it was the day before the decorations were taken down and packed away, the leftover cookies, if there were anyway, were put into the freezer...and of course there were presents.
In the years when we followed the tradition of adding to the nativity scene the figurines on the day they were supposed to arrive, this was the day that the magnificently dressed Wise  men and their beautifully adorned camels were placed into the scene. It always seemed a shame to me that these beautiful figurines were only on display for a day or two, they were fascinating.  Then again, that might have been the reason.
The story of La Befana is relatively new to me, and the most complete version I  could find is reposted here for those of you who haven't heard of her, and she has been around for a very long time, certainly longer that Santa Claus.  In some stories, she rides a broom, in some she walks and in some she has a donkey, sometimes called a witch and sometimes a grandmother.  I find her story beautiful.  

The Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated January 6 with a national holiday in Italy, and the tradition of La Befana are a big part of Italian Christmas celebrations. Epiphany commemorates the 12th day of Christmas when the three Wise Men arrived at the manger bearing gifts for Baby Jesus. The traditional Christmas holiday season in Italy lasts through Epiphany.
Italy's traditional celebration includes the tale of a witch known as La Befana who arrives on her broomstick during the night of January 5 and fills the stockings with toys and sweets for the good children and lumps of coal for the bad ones.
According to the legend, the night before the Wise Men arrived at the manger they stopped at the shack of an old woman to ask directions. They invited her to come along but she replied that she was too busy. Then a shepherd asked her to join him but again she refused. Later that night, she saw a great light in the sky and decided to join the Wise Men and the shepherd bearing gifts that had belonged to her child who had died. She got lost and never found the manger.
Now La Befana flies around on her broomstick each year on the 11th night, bringing gifts to children in hopes that she might find the Baby Jesus. Children hang their stockings on the evening of January 5 awaiting the visit of La BefanvTherefore, every year, on the night of January 5th, La Befana will travel on her magic broom to every house in Italy, in search of the baby Jesus to bring him gifts. Climbing down the chimneys, she brings candy or fruit to the children that were good and black coal, onions or garlic to the children that were naughty. The children will leave out their stockings, and even their shoes, hoping to awaken to some candy. Similar to the Santa Claus tradition, many of the children will write notes to La Befana and even leave out food and wine for her.  ~~ about.com

In the city of Urbania, there is a festival in her honor from January 2-6, among other things there is  La casa della Befana, where children can talk to Befana, much as children here go to see Santa. In fact it is not unusual to Santa and Befana together.  Children also write letters and even email Befana at info@mybefana.it

In Venice, theRegatta delle Bafane  is held each Jan 5, men  dress up as Befana and sail down the Grand Canal. 


Befana, who usually enters a home by coming down the chimney, will leave a lump of coal in the stocking or shoes of bad children and in Sicily she sometimes leave switches in the stocking of the unruly children.    It is common for children to receive "carbone", a black rock candy that looks very much like coal. 

I think i would rather get some of Befana's  "carbone" than  what the camel leave.

January 1,.2013

 Happy New Year

~~ArtPics Photogrphy

~~unknown