My husband lived in Italy while in the Navy and he found out about the Christmas Witch there. She brings children things for their stocking. We have celebrated it by saving just our stocking gifts for La Befana and then eating something Italian. One year I made struffoli (sp?) a kind of tiny donut dessert with sprinkles. Other years we had wine and then some Italian premade food from a place in Portland on Hawthorne. La Befana (aka Sara from my circle) dressed up last year for Melody and brought her a hobby horse. Then we sat by the fire and told stories. I am all about a holiday involving a witch and food so we have adopted it into our reprotoire.
This is a La Befana ritual my husband and I used several years ago. I got the information from various places. The HP means High Priest or the male and the HPS is the High Priestess or female part. If you only have one of you alter it accordingly!
There's also more information about the holiday here.
La Befana Ritual
January 5 - 6
Cauldron or fireplace, wood, brush, chestnuts, paper, pencils, wine, cakes, effigy of Befana, black candle, green candle, drum (optional),
To the European peasantry Epiphania signified the advent of their ancient goddess, and they smuggled their animistic customs into the Christian context under her name. In Italy and Sicily, the name Epiphania was transferred directly to the Old Goddess who travels in the Ember Nights. She appears in Renaissance witch trials as goddess of the witches and, in spite of the Inquisition, observances in her honor were kept alive into modern times. People appeal to Befania or Befana for good fortune on the winter holyday. The magical night of Epiphania is charged with power: people can foresee the future, and animals speak, even prophesy; the dead return to earth, and all kinds of marvels take place. One of Befana's titles was Marantega (from mater antiga, “old mother”).
Sicilians especially kept alive the memory of Befana, la Strega, la Vecchia—“the witch, the old woman”—an ugly, good old woman who leaves presents in children's stockings on Twelfth Night. She descends from the mountains at night, unseen, and enters houses through the chimneys. Sometimes she rides a broom. She brings gifts, or coal for the children who have been bad, and stuffs them into stockings hung above the hearth. [Centini, 119-20]
Singers serenaded houses where cloth images of Befana were placed in the windows, or carried her image from house to house while caroling. Families welcomed the visiting witch goddess with tambourines, horns and drums. Children sang “la Befanata,” asking her favors. In some places oranges and sweets were put into the Befana, and they broke it open like a piñata.
HPS: I call upon thee, Befana, gift giver of old. Join with us this night in joyous celebration.
La Befana comes at night
in tattered shoes with laces tied tight
Dressed in Roman style
Her search extends for miles
To those who fail to achieve their goals
She brings only cinders and coals
But for those who live steadfast and true
Her gifts restore, replenish, and renew.
On this eve of La Befana we welcome the giver of gifts and plenty to our home. Be with us now great Goddess.
Lights the black candle
HP: Befano as you come to accompany your consort on this her special evening of worship we welcome you. Be with us now.
Lights the green candle.
La Befana reaffirms the bond between our family and our ancestors through an exchange of gifts.
La Befana Song
“Upon the wind the snow is falling
and is blown on the wind before, and with a light step
she descends to us, a witch that is dear to you all
a witch that many here love
who comes every year to find you
she has arrived with us ‘La Befana’
every heart is full of joy
from among the valley, villages, and countryside
our Befana has arrived here
she has brought a great sackful of gifts
that she wants to give to you dear children
that promise to be good for their mothers and fathers.”
(tempo changes here, and another verse begins)
“and now friends you that are here
we want to sing and dance
and a ballet we want to do
with the Befana and Befano
and we want to salute you all
friends we shall always remain
and the Befana before she goes
wishes you all happiness and prosperity.”
HPS: As we light the sacred cauldron may the light guide La Befana’s blessings to us and entice the sun back to us with longer days ahead.
HP: This time of year is for reflection and turning inward as we hibernate indoors awaiting the coming of the sun. Think now of a wish for the new year and write it down.
Write your wish upon a piece of paper and places it in the cauldron or fireplace, allowing it to burn.
HPS: La Befana,
wise one of the elder witches,
as our desire is now known
may you grant our wishes.
Here is an incantation from "Etruscan Magic & Occult Remedies", by Charles Godfrey Leland, to drive away bad luck. It may well be that some Italian regions inherited their folk religion from their ancestors who lived in the same place, the Etruscans.
Take frankincense, both of the best and the inferior kind, also cummin seed. Have ready a seperate scaldino (spirit bowl), which is kept only for this purpose. And should it happen that affairs of any kind go badly, fill the scaldino with glowing coals, then take three pinches of best incense and three of the second quality, and put them all 'in fila' (in a row) on the threshold of the door. Then take the rest of your incense and the cummin, and put it into the burning coal, and carry it about, and wave it over the bed and in every corner, saying:
In nome del cielo!
Delle stelle e della luna!
Mi levo questo mal d'occhio
Per mia maggior' fortuna!
Befana! Befana! Befana!
Che mi date mal d'occhio maladetta sia
Befana! Befana! Befana!
Chi mi ha dato il maldocchio
Me lo porta via
E maggior fortuna Mi venga in casa mia!
(translation)
In the name of heaven
And of the stars and moon,
May this trouble change
To better fortune soon!
Befana! Befana! Befana!
Should this deed be thine;
Befana! Befana! Befana!
Take it away, bring luck, I pray,
Into this house of mine!
Then when all is consumed in the scaldino, light the little piles of incense on the threshold of the door, and go over it three times, and spit behind you over your shoulder three times, and say:
Befana! Befana! Befana!
Chi me ha dato maldocchio!
Me lo porta via
(translation)
Befana! Befana!
Befana! I say,
Since thou gavest this bad luck,
Carry it away!
Then pass thrice backwards and forwards before the fire, spitting over the left shoulder, and repeating the same incantation.
Wine Blessing
HPS: We offer a toast and thank La Befana for her generosity during these cold times.
(Holds the chalice of wine aloft in honor)
Wine is shared
Cake Blessing
HPS: (Holds plate of cakes up to the sky) These cakes are symbolic of abundance. We honor the Goddess in her aspect of La Befana this eve and share the nourishment of these cakes with our soul and honor the giving divine feminine at this time.
Cakes are shared with a portion set aside for an offering. More wood, corn, pine branches and brush are added to the sacred fire.
HPS: La Befana, we thank you for your presence here this night. May your spirit of gift giving follow us throughout the new year, encouraging us to reach out to help one another. Befana we return you now to the earth from whence you came. Blessed Be.
The effigy of Befana is placed on top of the fire.
The black candle is extinguished.
Both: Chestnuts are tossed in as symbols of fertility.
Both: (Sung 3xs)
“Air I am
Fire I am
Water, Earth and Spirit I am”
(Custom says that if the smoke blows to the West, then the crops will be poor. If to the East, it is an omen of a year of abundance. )
HP: Befano, thank you for your presence on this magical night. Go in power and go in peace.
Extinguishes green candle.
Closing Song
Forgot to show some of my favorite cards from the new tarot deck I got for Christmas. It's the Arthurian Tarot by Caitlin and John Matthews. 
hat I used a stencil 
brush on the white flowers last night so I wouldn't have to go outside. I have never been able to use a stencil sponge either it gets all messy and over the edges.
