The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-01-07

le ner IN which Twelfth Day an
It Twelfth Night were celebrate
II throughout England; and similar o,
sc servancss are chronicled for othe
l. countries of Europe, particularly tn
5 Roman Catholic countries. That kin
Il OF celebration is not commended t
$ modern folks; but the quotation
serves the double purpose of shown!
the fact that Twelfth Day is the da,
for giving presents and for maxim.
q merry. ana also to show the Older
time method of banqueting.
Until this day. however. 1t is ii
Italy that Twelfth Night is most uni
formly observed. The little children
of Italy do not look for presents al
Christmas time. and they do no,
hang up their stockings untIl Twelfth
Night. Concerning our Santa Claus
and the German Christ Kindel. they
know nothing. The good fairy OF the
Italian little ones lie Bef-ana.
Late on Twelfth Night some lady
of the family softly enters the room
{ wher the stockings are hanging, to
NIL the tiny hose with toys. She
comes in the guise of fairy. After
she has filled the stockings and Is
swiftly disappearing. the wakeful and
watchful little children cry out:
Ecco la Befana," (Behold Bef-ana,)
and Immediately they begin an in
spection of their gifts, instead OF
waiting until the morning.
According to legend Befana did not
see the wise men when they came to
offer their gifts to the divine infant.
expecting them to return. They did
not come again to see the infant
Jesus and, every Twelfth Night, Bef-
ana the beautiful, the fairy of the
Italian children, watches to see them.
Ref-ana derives her name from Epi-
phania; and our folks pronounce IT
Epiphany.
Church tradition gives us a full &C.
count OF the coming of the three wise
kings of the east, who first made
gifts. They were Melchior. Garper
and Balthazar. They brought to Jesus
goio, as an emblem OF his royalty: /
frankincense as token OF his divin- /
1ty, and myrrh in prophetic alIusion /
to the persecution unto death which
awaited him. Each gift had its soe-
cial significance. The wise men gave
wisely.
To church tradition we also owe /,
the fact that those three kings OF the /,
east followed the star Of Bethlehem
Tor twelve days, and that it led them
70 Bethlehem, and kept on before
them to the very lowly frame struc-
ture wherein Mary and ner divine
babe were lying; where the virgin Il
mother awaited their coming, for pro-
phecy had foretold to her; and the /,
star led them to that stable where !,
the ass and COW were tethered, near /,
mat babe who was to become "a man
of sorrows. and acquainted with
grief"
Thus you see that the little Italian :
have held fast onto the
proper time for gayety and the Civ. r
ng OF presents. Bef-ana, the beauti-
I'll fairy of Italy, brings to those r
title ones the presents which are
ypical of the presents first given on 3
twelfth Night; presents to bring
happiness to each child; for Of such /,
S the kingdom of heaven"
1t Is not to be supposed nor pre-
umed that there will be any change !
made in our observances and festal
celebrations, nor in the date for Civ
ng presents. But, all of us should :
now these things well enough to
.eep them alive in our own minds.
nd to convey to the knowledge of a
he children the true story of the v
firth and acknowledgment of the /;
abe who grew into the greatest
orce ever vested in mortal brain a 3
over and force for good before s
hitch all men of mental might bow a
ntil this day. Il
indeed, 1t might be well for us and e
Or our children if we should give h
hem two celebrations every wear a
hat they might know and compre. fl
end the fulness Of the story of Him d
tho came into and out of the man. h
er, and whose name shines forever r
long side OF the star of Bethlehem. a,