by Marco, age 9 from Springfield, Illinois, asks Babbo Natale about Italian Christmas traditions and his friendly rivalry with La Befana.
A Letter to Babbo Natale from Marco in Springfield, Illinois
Dear Babbo Natale, I am Marco, age nine, from Springfield, Illinois. My grandma is from Naples and she talks about you every December, so I wrote down all my questions:
- Did you use to wear a green robe instead of a red one a long time ago?
- Do Italian children leave out cookies for you, or do they leave something else?
- Do you come down the chimney like my Santa, or do you use a different entrance?
- Do you have a workshop in the North Pole, or do you live somewhere else in Italy?
- Do you have reindeer, or do you have a different animal pulling your sleigh?
- Do you have to share your gift giving with La Befana on January 6th?
- Do you only visit the northern part of Italy, or do you go everywhere?
- Do you race against La Befana, the Christmas witch, to deliver presents?
- Why are you much skinnier than the jolly American Santa Claus?
- Why do you look more regal or king like than the American Santa?
- Geography: What mountain range stretches across northern Italy?
- Social Studies: Who is La Befana, and what Italian holiday does she celebrate?
Grazie, Marco
Babbo Natale Writes Back
Did you use to wear a green robe instead of a red one a long time ago?
You have done your research, Marco. Long before red became popular, older pictures of me from the 1800s sometimes showed a green cloak, tied to old winter spirit traditions in the Italian countryside. Red became more common in the 1900s, partly thanks to advertising that spread around the world.
Do Italian children leave out cookies for you, or do they leave something else?
Italian children often leave out panettone crumbs or a few biscotti, plus a small glass of something warm for me, sometimes coffee, sometimes a splash of something stronger for the grown up in me.
Do you come down the chimney like my Santa, or do you use a different entrance?
Chimney, mostly, though in newer apartment buildings without one I have learned to make excellent use of balconies. Doors work in a pinch too.
Do you have a workshop in the North Pole, or do you live somewhere else in Italy?
My main workshop is at the North Pole, same as always, but I keep a smaller seasonal office in the Dolomite mountains where I test toys on real snow before delivery.
Do you have reindeer, or do you have a different animal pulling your sleigh?
Reindeer, same as your Santa. An Italian mule offered to help once, and I politely declined. Mules are stubborn, and December schedules leave no room for stubbornness.
Do you have to share your gift giving with La Befana on January 6th?
Yes, and happily so. I handle the big Christmas Eve rush, and La Befana sweeps in on January 6th to finish the job, filling stockings with candy for good children and a coal shaped licorice for the mischievous ones.
Do you only visit the northern part of Italy, or do you go everywhere?
Everywhere, from the Alps down to Sicily, though I will admit the southern chimneys are considerably easier to fit through.
Do you race against La Befana, the Christmas witch, to deliver presents?
It is not really a race, more of a friendly relay. I finish my rounds, take a short nap, and she picks up wherever I left off twelve days later.
Why are you much skinnier than the jolly American Santa Claus?
Italian food is extraordinary, Marco, but I try to pace myself between houses. Decades of climbing narrow medieval staircases in old Italian towns has kept me rather trim, whether I like it or not.
Why do you look more regal or king like than the American Santa?
Some of my oldest portraits show me in flowing robes that look almost bishop like, which comes from Saint Nicholas traditions blending into my story over the centuries. I suppose I inherited a bit of his dignity.
Geography: What mountain range stretches across northern Italy?
The Alps stretch across the top of Italy like a snowy crown, separating it from France, Switzerland, and Austria. That is exactly where I keep my toy testing cabin.
Social Studies: Who is La Befana, and what Italian holiday does she celebrate?
La Befana is a kind old witch who, legend says, was too busy sweeping her house to join the Three Wise Men on their journey to see baby Jesus, and has been trying to catch up ever since. She delivers her gifts on the Epiphany, January 6th, which celebrates the Wise Men finally finding Jesus.
