Saturday, January 10, 2009

Get Em Home For Befana 2010


I'm just going to quit with the week # count, because it's too depressing to realize my weeks of clever blog posts STILL haven't gotten F&I back home! But the campaign will continue in '09!
This week, I remind our faraway Virginians that if they were at home, we could have celebrated the feast of Befana on Jan. 6!
All of us Sundstrom kids fondly remember going to Toddie & Baba's house for a great 2nd Christmas celebration on "Befana". We got all of our favorite eats (which included grissini [bread sticks] wrapped in Oh Boy Oberto Salami, celery sticks squirted with Cheez Whiz, olives to put on each finger, delicious roast beef with Toddie's to-die-for roast potatoes, and lots of homemade vino for the grown-ups). We got more presents too, absolutely the best part!!
For non-Italians, La Befana is a witch visits all the children in Italy on Epiphany, and gives coal to the baddies, candy and gifts to the goodies. And any day you get presents is a good day --- see what you are missing!
Here's a kind of crazy (but very Italian) poem/song about Befana:

(Italian)La Befana vien di nottecon le scarpe tutte rottecol vestito alla "romana"viva viva la Befana !!
Porta cenere e carboniai bambini cattivoniai bambini belli e buoniporta chicchi e tanti doni !

(English)The Befana comes by night
With her shoes all broken
With a dress in Roman style
Up, up with the Befana !!
She brings ashes and coal
To bad nasty children
To the nice good child
She brings candies and many gifts !
Now, if Fred & Irene manage to make it home this year, I PROMISE to revive Befana for them (and all the other good children in my family). Maybe even make those delish roast potatoes!

9 comments:

Cara said...

the poem translated is a little weird

Laurie said...

yeah it is! That's the Italians for you. Now if you were home we could all march around the Xmas tree singing it. LOL

Katie said...

i like the weird song, very fitting. although i'm not convinced you transcribed the Italian all that well, it seems like the spaces are in the wrong spots in some places? but we'll definitely be singing it next year!

Laurie said...

hey I don't speak-a Italian. I just cut and paste.

Meg said...

I'm up for any holiday that gives more presents...I'm there;).

zaideafraidey said...

fond, fond memories of Befana. Do you remember that "Curel Christmas" started at a befana event...the infamous
"give her bundles, rocks and logs,
Until she kills those little dogs"
yes sirree, created while sitting on the big brown chair in the living room in front of the picture window.

Laurie said...

Memories...like the corners of my mind (are those the words? or did I just start another poetry contest)

zaideafraidey said...

I think you are stealing from Babs, nice try though

Laurie said...

only steal from the best, that's my motto.