Vold, bent, with a hooked nose, broken shoes and a broom in her hand. The Befana arrives on the night of the Epiphany bringing sweets, gifts or coal. Yet, alongside curiosity and anticipation, for many children there is also a bit of fear. Why can this figure so loved by Italian tradition be scary? The answer lies in his powerful symbolic meaningancient and surprisingly current.
An ancient figure, much older than Christmas
La Befana has its roots in pagan rites linked to the cycle of nature et al transition from the old year to the new one. It represents the winter that ends, the land that has borne its fruits and now must “die” in order to be reborn. It is no coincidence depicted as an elderly woman: She’s not an evil witch, but the time that passesthe end of a cycle.
Cultural anthropology studies show how elderly female figures are often symbols of transformation and regeneration. According to the anthropologist Mircea Eliade (The myth of the eternal return, Borla)the end-of-year rites are really useful for symbolically “consume” the old time to allow the beginning of the new.
With the advent of Christianity, this figure was associated with the Epiphany and the journey of the Three Kings. According to popular tradition, the Befana refused to accompany them and then, repentant, began to look for Jesus, bringing gifts to all the children.
This is why it scares children
From a psychological point of view, the Befana embodies some elements that can be disturbing for the little ones. The appearance is not reassuring, it flies at night and breaks the idealized image of the “good character”. Developmental psychology explains that children, especially between 3 and 7 yearsreact more intensely to ambiguous figures: not totally good, not totally bad. Second Jean Piaget (The Psychology of the ChildBasic Books), in this phase children think in a symbolic but concrete way: a character who judges behavior and can punish generates strong emotions, between attraction and fear.
The role of judgment (and coal)
La Befana introduces a complex theme: moral evaluation. Bring sweets to the “good” children and coal to the “bad” ones. Moral psychology studies indicate that this type of narrative helps children build a sense of rules and consequences, as long as it is accompanied by reassuring explanations.
The resulting fear is not pathological: it is one educational fearsimilar to that of traditional fairy tales. As a developmental psychopathologist explains Bruno Bettelheimin the famous The enchanted world (The Uses of Enchantment, Knopfle), scary fairy tale figures they serve to give symbolic form to internal fears, helping children to recognize and overcome them.
Bruno Bettelheim, “The Enchantment World” (The Uses of Enchantment, Knopfle)
A fear that serves to grow
From a neuroscientific point of view, controlled confrontation with what scares promotes emotional development. Studies published on Child Development Journalstudies on symbolic narrative and emotional regulation show that Symbolic narratives help children improve emotion regulation and resilienceespecially when the adult acts as a mediator.
La Befana, in this sense, is one passing figure: closes the holidays, it marks a boundary, brings us back to reality. It doesn’t promise infinite happiness, but it teaches that every end is necessary.
La Befana today: less fear, more story
Today the Befana is often softened: street parties, colored socks, ironic interpretations. But its symbolic value remains intact. It’s not just folklore: it’s a narrative that talks about time, change, responsibility.
For children, it can be a first encounter with the idea that growing up also means facing what is not perfectly reassuring. For adults, a reminder: not all fears should be eliminated. Some go tell, explain, go through.
How to talk to children about it
To prevent the Befana from becoming a source of anxiety, it is useful to transform it into a shared story. Explain to the children that he is not a bad figure, but a symbolic one, helps reduce fear. Better avoid threats (“if you don’t be good the coal will arrive”) e focus on the meaning of the gesture: charcoal is not a punishment, but a way to remember that you can always improve.
Telling the Befana like a slightly tired grandmother, who closes the old year and opens the new one, makes the story more understandable. AND leaving room for questions is essential: Naming fears makes them less powerful. When the adult listens and accompanies, the night of the Epiphany can become a moment of curiosity and growth, not of fear.