Sunday, December 27, 2015

The Cautionary Tale of La Befana


I posted that video a few years ago. It has over 83,000 views and is by far the most popular thing I've ever produced.

Yet, it's interesting that such a benevolent cautionary tale garnered 15 "thumbs downs."  Skimming the comments, I see that a disgruntled few were chafed and not chuffed that the recording claims the La Befana legend is relived each year on January 5th and not on January 6th -- the true Epiphany). The truth is that like St. Nicholas' Day (December 6th), children celebrate the day before (la befana is Italian dialect or childspeak for la epifana -- the Epiphany.  Dutch kids put their little shoes out the night of December 5th and Italian kids put hang out their calzones on January 5th. Of course, the Holy days are the calendar holidays.

6 comments:

Chip Ahoy said...

Charming. This proves Italians are fantastic at making up stories for gifts being late. These people are kindred spirits.

One time I wrote the names of places all over the outside of the box of gift given too late for the celebration with instructions written repeatedly in different handwritings and different colors to send it back or send it to another wrong address. With big dark arrows and colored tape made into arrows pointing to addresses and different colors scratching out previous messages to create confusion and chaos all over the package. It would make great printed wrapping paper. It was reported back, the child who received it enjoyed the box that lied amusingly possibly as much as the gift inside it. They still have the ridiculous box after the toy is smashed a decade ago.

Not Aurora France, Auroia ITALY XXXXXXX -----> NO! Aurora Chicago. XXXXXX WRONG ADDRESS SEND TO AURORA COLORADO XXXXXXXX ------> Ariaia Canda.

That sort of crap in different sizes and urgencies all over the outside of the box. All because the thing came late.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

This year it was FedEx who fumbled the Christmas deliveries.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

How do you hang out a calzone?

chickelit said...

How do you hang out a calzone?

...by the chimney with care,
with hopes that no creosotes nearby would flare?

Why a calzone is called a calzone

deborah said...

Thanks for sharing that, chick. Yes, some are simple andd legalistic. But 15 thumbs down in 83K is not too shabby!

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

lolz- Chickel.