A late Befana ... (with a new hat)

[Caesar]

On January the 6th we've got a religious festivity celebrating the arrival of the Magi (the three Wisemen) to adore the child Jesus, but also that of a good witch similarly taking sweets, candies fruit, toys etc. to good children or ash and coal to naughty ones. We have a little nursery rhyme thereabout:

La Befana vien di notte
con le scarpe tutte rotte
il cappello alla romana
viva, viva la Befana

I could freely translate (to keep some of the sense and the rhyme as well)

Overnight flies the good witch
her old shoes she had to stitch
she wears a Roman looking hat
long live her so gifts I get

So, even if late, here's the Befana who, with baby Jesus at Christmas, traditionally used to make Santa Klaus job here ...

[copespeak]

Very quaint painting Caesar, and such a lovely story.

We have a local here, who has lost so many teeth he's starting to 'lithp' and 'whithle' when he talks. He was sitting at my ma-in-law's table next to me today and he does make me smile! Your witchy grin reminds me very much of this fellow.

[misterpaint]

anche se in ritardo... troppo forte!

[Caesar]

Maybe such an almost toothless mouth is my unconscious nightmare, dear Robyn, since I like eating ractically anything and a in a "reasonably abundant" amount ... Thank You!

Caro Stefano, dopo un paio di vignette "originali" su Babbo Natale, non potevo esimermi dal celebrare la Befana, no". Ultimamente ho una tendenza fumettistico-pittorica anche un po' umoristica. Che decadenza artistica! Grazie comunque! Devo venire a vedere le tue nuove meraviglie invece, ma gli ambienti virtuali tipo after-life un po' mi deprimono. Sei anche su Deviantart per caso?

[D Akey]

I remember when the witch was being burned in effigy on New Years in Florence to bring in the new millennium. So glad to see she survived. What would the kids do without their sweeties.

(PASSAGE OMITTED OWING TO PIC HAVING BEEN CHANGED/UPDATED NOW IRRELEVANT)

So I guess this means no candy for me this year. . . of course I was probably eliminated because unlike her, I'm long in the tooth and still have them all thankfully. I wonder if we could get this witch and make her the poster child for "The Ghost of Halloween Future", embodying what happens after that night of getting all that candy. Yikes! Children beware!

[silvy]

Davvero una simpatica Befana....ritardataria

[AndreaMG]

Ahah nice one Caesar, she looks tired, all that carbon destined to be delivered to italian politicians must have been really heavy!

[stevemawmv]

I want live in italy, so many celebrations, and I have the sense and feeling that there's a strong commununity participation in them.
Which would be great to experience, instead of having to buy some product being thrown in your face just because it's a special day!
As for Befana, I may have been on her ash and charcoal list, fore I made some errors in judgement last year!
Going to correct those this year, and not be naughty!
I Like it, take care
friend!
Steve

[Caesar]

Dear D Akey, You're absolutely right. The hat doesn't work (my wife told me too). The airbrush coating betrayed me here ... I'll see what I can do to remedy. Thank You.

Un po' come le poste durante le feste, cara Silvia. Grazie!

Right dear Andrea! I think that many castes with undeserved privileges in Italy got the charcoal!

Dear Steve, I'm afraid environments are worsening everywhere, here too, but we should keep awareness and hope high with the new generations so that the changes and evolution aren't fake revolutions, but improving on what our ancestors, that we should honour, built and handed out of beauty, love, wisdom and any positive dream come true. This is true anywhere I guess. Thank You!

[coops]

This is super Cesare LOVE IT