January 6th - Italian Style

One of the very first words I learned in Italian, after ciao, was “Befana.” I remember my friend Anna telling me back in 1982 that Italians celebrated a holiday on January 6^th and that children would put out stockings and the “Befana” would come and deliver presents: lumps of coal in olden days - gifts and candy now.  The Befana was not a witch per se, but an old, ugly woman, someone to be a bit afraid of. Today, she’s depicted on TV more like Samantha in the cartoon version of the old TV show “Bewitched” – still riding a broom and wearing a pointy hat but all sexed up with flowing blond hair and lots of leg showing.

A Local Befana

Being a very provincial young man back then, I had trouble wrapping my head around celebrating anything past January 1, and for me “Befana” became a term of endearment for Anna.  It’s still something I call her today. Now, 29 years later, I’m in Italy seeing first-hand what January 6^th is all about.

Today was the Epiphany, the 12^th day of Christmas, and Christmas Day if you’re Eastern Orthodox. It was also the final day of what seemed to be the 45 days of Natale.  It was a bit of a strange holiday: some stores were closed, lots were open, and we had school today although most people were not working and enjoying the start of a long weekend. It was also a warm and sunny 12º C.

Fra Angelico & Filippo Lippi, Adoration of the Magi, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC

So much of the iconography of medieval and renaissance art is Christian-based (read: religious) that you no doubt know what the epiphany is, and if you don’t, I’ll remind you: think Three Wise Men; think Adoration of the Magi; think Gold, Frankincense, & Myrth.

Bartolome Murillo, Adoraton of the Magi.
I like this representation better - shows a bit of colour on the wise men.

The Italian word for parade is “parata” and I love a good parata as much as gli italiani. So, no one was disappointed with today’s parata through the streets of Firenze from Palazzo Pitti to Piazza del Duomo to celebrate the Epifany.  I Fiorentini have never let go of the past, and being here I fully understand why.  The Palazzo Vecchio (old city hall) is 700 years old. The Battistero is 1,000 years old – still here and still in use. The Uffizi dates back to 1560. And I could go on.  I Fiorentini live in their history every day and at times it feels a bit surreal. But they never miss an occasion to honour their history and today was no exception.

The Parade at Piazza della Signoria

Against the sun-splashed façade of the Duomo and amid a sea of dull grey and black winter coats, the parata arrived in full colour: flags and banners with ancient coats of arms and symbols from important guilds and trades that built the city. The Magi appeared about halfway through the procession each atop a horse. 

 

 

Music was provided by several drum corps, and the period costumes looked very real.  The parata entered the Piazza del Duomo after the children’s choir finished singing Christmas carols and before everyone went into the Duomo for Mass. They were unabashedly celebrating the Epifany and the glory of the Florentine Republic of long ago.  It was a wonderful combination for a parade in a glorious city.

In front of the Duomo, January 6, 2012