Befana Befana In Italian folklore, Befana () is an old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5) in a similar way to St Nicholas or Santa Claus. A popular belief is that her name derives from the Feast of Epiphany or in Catholic "La Festa dell'Epifania". "Epifania" is a Latin word with Greek origins meaning "manifestation (of the divinity)." Some suggest that Befana is descended from the Sabine/Roman goddess named Strenia. In popular folklore Befana visits all the children of Italy on the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany to fill
The Boomerang Book of Legendary Tales The Boomerang Book of Legendary Tales The Boomerang Book of Legendary Tales (1957) is an anthology of indigenous myths and legends for children, compiled by Australian author Enid Moodie Heddle, illustrated by Nancy Parker. It won the in 1957. This anthology contains a selection of Australian Aboriginal legends, and myths from New Zealand, Fiji, New Guinea, Tonga, Borneo, Micronesia and the Solomon Islands. In a survey of possible Christmas book gifts for children in "The Age" in 1957, Dennis Dugan noted: "Miss Moodie Heddle has drawn on the work of such writers as Mrs. Langloh Parker, Mervyn Skipper, Roland Robinson,