The Feast of the Epiphany is 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.
Like children around the world, kids in Italy as well, look forward to the arrival of the red-suited Babbo Natale on Christmas Eve. However, this relatively modern tradition pales in comparison to the anticipation generated by the arrival of an old witch in early January. For Italians, La Festa dell’Epifania on January 6th is as significant a holiday as Christmas Day; especially for Italian children!
According to the Italian legend, La Befana, a witch-like woman riding on a broom, refused to join the Wise Men on their journey to see the baby Jesus. When she regrets her decision, she sets out to bring gifts to the Child but never finds him. Instead, she leaves gifts for other children. Italian children leave out their shoes or put up stockings for the Befana to fill on January 5th, Epiphany Eve.
And the legend continues that every Epiphany Eve, the old, tattered and soot-covered Befana flies around the world on a broomstick and comes down chimneys to deliver candy and presents to children who have been good during the year. For those who have fallen a bit short of model behavior, la Befana will leave lumps of coal. Knowing that all kids can’t be perfect year-round, some shops in Italy sell carbone or black rock candy that actually looks like pieces of coal… so even those not quite perfect can still enjoy a sweet treat.
Unlike Santa Claus, La Befana has been an Italian tradition since the XIII century and comes from Christian legend rather than pop culture.
The arrival of la Befana is celebrated with traditional Italian foods such as panettone and marks the end of the long and festive holiday season in Italy. In honor of the Three Wise Men, Italians go to church and enjoy spending the day with family.
May this year bring new happiness, new travels, new goals, new achievements and a lot of new inspirations of your life. Wishing you a 2019 fully loaded with love.
A few thousand years ago (475 BC), according to a neoclassical tradition, the city of Naples was founded in the winter solstice. Today, therefore, it is the birthday of Parthenope.
The legendary siren Parthenope, fallen victim of the cunning of Ulysses, left angry the fearsome rock of the sirens to reach the islet of Megaride, where today stands the Castel dell’Ovo.
We are in December. December means Christmas, holidays, presents and sitting under the tree. But these aren’t the only things to do in December. Let’s find out some of the best events for this month.
HERE SOME EXHIBITIONS YOU CAN’T MISS IN DECEMBER
LONDON SHADOW. LA RIVOLUZIONE INGLESE DA GILBERT & GEORGE A DAMIEN HIRST
19/10/18 – 20/01/19. The London Shadow exhibition recounts, through twenty-three works, the spirit of artistic renewal that began in Great Britain (YBA, Young British Artists) in the late eighties and early nineties. At the end of the decade, these young artists finally glimpsed the possibility of breaking with the “old” generation imposing signs, messages and new expressive codes. Leader of the movement is Damien Hirst.
14/07/18 – 15/01/19. Expanded Interiors explores ancient Roman wall paintings and Roman artefacts through fine-art practice at the two UNESCO World Heritage sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The project will develop site-specific fine art installations within two distinct architectural contexts: the House of the Cryptoporticus, in Pompeii, and the House of the Beautiful Courtyard, in Herculaneum. Expanded Interiors is planned by Newcastle University and brings together an experienced team from contemporary art, archaeology and digital technology.
13/10/18 – 29/12/18. The retrospective exhibition dedicated to the Sicilian futurist and photographer Olimpio Greco, also called Grecolio. The exhibition, curated by Viktor Grobheiten, will present photos taken between 1919 and 1925. As Grobheiten says: maybe it’s time to shed light on Italian futurism artists, who didn’t have the visibility and the success they deserved. And it is certainly the case of Grecolio, a great interpreter of photodynamism.
18/10/18 – 11/01/19. The Mapils Gallery presents Bianchi i giorni che sovrastano le notti, from Jean Loup Champion. Jean-Loup offers an unpublished production realized in the last few years. The trauma caused by three consecutive liver transplants, made him discover, and then express, another body and another world, white and three – dimensional. In 2017, Jean-Loup Champion worked on a new series of works entitled Monumenti. These works refer to the Baroque funerary monuments of Naples and the Cy Twombly white sculptures. Made in wood and various materials, they are always painted in white.
19/10/18 – 17/02/19. Works by Boccioni, Balla, Carrà, Severini. Sixty-four masterpieces take us to the first and most important vanguard European Futurism of the early 1900s.
20/10/18 – 03/02/19. Klimt Experience is an immersive and multimedia journey dedicated to the life and works of Gustav Klimt. The main purpose is to thrill and fascinate the spectators, inviting them to deepen the knowledge of the man and artist and the understanding of his works. A multimedia jump in Klimt’s art and history. The exhibition includes the biography told by the monitors of the visual room, a magical kaleidoscope with signs and images projected on walls and ceilings in the hall of mirrors; virtual reality with the Oculus VR. A different way to approach art, a dreamlike journey.
13/12/18 – 21/02/19. Peppe Esposito on show with his personal Presenze Assenze 1978 – 2018. 50 images between black and white photos and color portraits on display at the Private Baker Fideuram offices. A visual tale of Napoli, an ideal metropolis immortalized by the photographic eye of Esposito that conquers bodies and spaces, revealing the city’s many identities and its transformations, from 1978 to today.
8/11/18 – 24/04/19. Thanks to unpublished material, letters, photos, videos, costumes, posters, manuscripts and typescripts, this exhibition shows up like a some kind of dialogue between the De Filippo family and the public. People will meet Eduardo through the movies, through the poems, through the songs, will live his strength, his rigor, the importance that the theatre and the audience had for him and that took him not to stop even when life was terribly tough with him.
01/11/18 – 22/04/19. Palazzo delle Arti di Napoli will house the works of Maurits Cornelis Escher, one of the world’s most famous graphic artists. There will also be a large section dedicated to the influence that his work have had on subsequent generations: discs, comics, advertising, movies. A big journey through 200 works, from Escher to the present day.
DINOSAURI IN CARNE E OSSA (DINOSAURS IN FLESH AND BLOOD)
12/11/18 – 09/03/19. Dinosaurs are back, and they and they have established themselves at the. Astroni Crater, an extinct volcano just 5 km from Naples. It is a unique experience that helps us to reflect on a question: can you survive a mass extinction? A small group of survivors gave life to different species of animals, that have dominated the earth. Extinction is part of evolution, but over the past 350 years, our actions have placed the planet at risk of a new mass extinction. The exhibition tells the history of life, from Paleozoic till the present day.
BRIKMANIA, UN MONDO DI MATTONCINI (A WORLD OF BRICKS)
13/10/18 – 27/01/19. The world’s biggest exhibition of Lego is here. 2 million of bricks, with vintage cars, pirate galleons and the Star Wars saga and an area with a pool full of bricks where children can play.
24/10/18 – 05/05/19. Taijiquan is a Chinese fighting technique suitable for everyone and is based on a harmonious balance between body and mind, restoring the energy flow and psychophysical well-being.
NATALE AL CASTELLO DI LETTERE (CHRISTMAS AT LETTERE CASTLE)
10/11/18 – 06/01/19. In the wonderful Archaeological park in Castello di Lettere, it will take place Natale al Castello. The Castle will be set up according to a traditional Christmas Market. The event, is the favourite destination for adults and children who spend a very special moment during the holidays, between tradition, games and typical tastings. With kiosks in which artisans, masters of the Neapolitan manger, producers and farms, will propose their creations.
MERCATINI AL CASTELLO DI OTTAVIANO (MARKETS AT THE OTTAVIANO CASTLE)
01/12/18 – 16/12/18. More than 100 exhibitors at the Mediceo Castle, organized in typical wooden houses, will offer a wide range of products. Christmas lights, artists, concerts, choirs and shows are the perfect setting for this typical Christmas atmosphere.
02/12/18 – 21/12/18. The National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa will be transformed into the city of the Christmas, giving visitors unforgettable emotions. If you visit the markets you can freely access and visit the National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa. Children can visit the house of Santa Claus, view the locomotives of the Polar Express, meeting characters from fairy tales and listening tales like Snow White, Pinocchio and The Pied Piper.
10/12/18 – 24/12/18. For 14 days Borgo Martucci will turn into a historical road. Take a leap into the past and experience history in an original way. Ladies, knights, jugglers and minstrels, let yourself be guided towards the magic.
HERE SOME THEATRICAL SHOWS YOU CAN’T MISS IN DECEMBER
MADE IN CHINA POSTCARDS FROM VAN GOGH
04/12/18 – 09/12/18. An original comparison between Van Gogh, the artistic genius, and China, the serial reproduction for commercial purposes. A very original show in which the reference made in China, suggests food for thought on contemporary society.
07/12/18 – 09/12/18. A restaurant, the owner, his son, two waiters and the cook. Every Sunday after the closing, they go to the basement of the club to play poker all the night. This routine is broken by the arrival on the scene of a mysterious character. A character that brings to the life of the protagonists imbalance and curiosity, adding suspense to the developments of the story and, above all, to the game that will be played.
07/12/18 – 16/12/18. In a near future, the water is privatized and the rivers are guarded by the government guards. In an abandoned parking lot there is a homeless community, frayed by anger and conflict. Aldo and Nina, a rebellious and unpredictable girl, who will prove to be the biggest of their problems and, at the same time, the key to a social redemption, will be part of the community.
AVEVO UN BEL PALLONE ROSSO (I HAD A BEAUTIFUL RED BALLOON)
11/12/18 – 16/12/18. Margherita is a young Catholic girl who, after moving to Milan, in a few years becomes “Mara”, leader of the Red Brigades. The show, through the conversations between her and her father, tells the story of Margherita and outlines the intimate and dramatic relationship between father and daughter, which mixes with the history of Italy.
12/12/18 – 16/12/18. A wrong e-mail address, triggers a spark between 2 strangers. Based on the book by Daniel Glattauer, with millions of copies sold all over the world, the show describes the birth of an intense and virtual bond. Can a relationship of this kind survive to a real meeting?
14/12/18 – 16/12/18. In 2007, with Magic People Show, Giuseppe Montesano told the global consumer, the average human being, the slave of the advertising, and then, national economy healers, air to breathe sellers, souls sellers and buyers. Ten years later a new version of the show, which mixes opera buffs and drama, made up of ridiculous monsters drugged by the dream of money, of deluded prisoners of being free and people who have buried passion and love. A new tragicomic chapter of the sick Italy.
09/11/18 – 30/12/18. Do you believe in paranormal activities? With this tour, the De Rebus Neapolis, which represents the Paranormal Research and Analysis Center in Naples, will explore the results of a surprising survey in the alleys of the ancient center of Naples. This tour will provide some precious knowledge to all those who want to approach to the paranormal. The purpose is to make contact with the occult.
ANGELI E DEMONI. A TOUR IN THE MOST MYSTERIOUS CHURCHES IN NAPLES
16/11/18 – 28/12/18. The history, the anecdotes, the curiosities about the three churches of mystery: Church of Gesù Nuovo, Basilica of San Domenico Maggiore and the Basilica of Santa Chiara. Ghosts, angels and other entities, a walk that will tell the miracles, the mysteries and the paranormal. Every corner and every facade of these churches carries a hidden history.
08/12/18 – 29/12/18. In the wonderful Filangieri museum, a work inspired by the concert La traviata, from Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras and Placido Domingo. Between the great Italian opera and the Neapolitan tradition, and speaking of Neapolitan tradition, O’ Sole mio and Torna a Surriento, are just a couple of the songs in which the tenors protagonists of this evening will challenge themselves.
Many tourists on Sunday afternoon for the turning on of Christmas lights. “Naples explodes with culture, tourism and popular participation” said the mayor, Luigi de Magistris, who in the afternoon, together with the councilor Ciro Borriello and the president of the IV Municipality Perrella, was in via San Gregorio Armeno, the street of cribs.
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