Twelfth Night

January 5th, called Twelfth Night, is the Eve of the Epiphany, the night that the three Magi traveled to Bethlehem to see the newborn baby Jesus. In Italy, the Befana (short for Epiphania) was busy sweeping her floor that night, when the Magi stopped at her house. They invited her to come along with them on their trip to see Jesus but she said she was too busy. Later she changed her mind and decided to follow, but she couldn’t find them. She continues her search each year on Twelfth Night, flying on a broom, going from house to house and leaving gifts.

The Befana is the Spirit as Grandmother, aged and full of wisdom. She reminds me to pay attention to the path that lies before me, keep my priorities straight, and stay open to what each day offers. If I listen for the voice of the Spirit in the midst of my daily work and in my relationships, then I will see the road I need to travel.

Agenda for today:
1. Journal:
Describe the road that lies before me. Where is it leading?
What distractions do I face?
How will I remember to keep my priorities straight?

2. Housecleaning:

Sweepings from under the tree!

Twelfth Night is when we take down our tree and other greens, and stow away the last of the Christmas decorations. (I do a thorough search because anything left out is supposed to stay up all year!) I also dismantled both my wreaths and put the greens in a paper bag in the garage, to save for the Imbalc fire on February 1st.

Once the tree and the greens are down, I carefully sweep up all the needles, and work my way slowly through the house, sweeping each room, getting into the corners and under the furniture. Then I take the trash out and have a cup of coffee!

When I sweep on this day, I give attention to the feel of the broom in my hand and the sound it makes on the floor. Some people focus on “sweeping away negative energy”. For me, this attentive sweeping is how I honor my Grandmothers through the ages, who kept houses clean; and also it's how I remind myself to give full attention to the ordinary work of my life.

3. Make 3 King's and 1 Befana:

Very little is known about the Magi, except that they were of a class of priestly scholars, probably from Persia. Colorful legend has given them names and made them symbolic of all the races of the world; even their number- three- is pure myth.

Our homemade crèche has never had any Magi. I guess we ran out of energy after making Mary and Joseph. This year I found a picture of some Kings that I thought looked cool, but I couldn't find any instructions- so I figured it out for myself. And I decided to make a Befana as well!

Befana still needs a broom...

Supplies:

• 3/4" dowel, cut to 3"-long pieces
• acrylic paints in various skin tones
• paint brush
• cloth
• 6" circle template (I used a round container)
• scissors
• needle and thread
• white glue
• lace, ribbon, and bric-brac

1. Cut and sand your dowel pieces, and paint the tops in skin tones. Set aside to dry.

2. Trace a 6" diameter circle onto fabric, one for each little person. 

3. Cut along the line, then sew a running stitch all along the outside edge and gather the circle into a little pouch.

4. When the paint is dry, insert the bottom of the dowl into the pouch, gather it tight and sew it closed. I put a little glue just along the top to keep the fabric where I wanted it.

5. Sew or glue a ribbon around the top of the fabric. Glue trim around each head for hair and crowns. Add sashes or shawls, and you are done!

4. Gifts:

Traditionally, I leave gifts this night, as if for the Christ Child. When my kids were young, it was the last special gift of the Christmas season, usually something they each asked for but had not yet received. This year, I resorted to writing checks.