Il giorno dell’Epifania segna la conclusione ufficiale delle vacanze natalizie. Il 6 gennaio è atteso soprattutto dai bambini per la tradizionale calza carica di doni, che la Befana porta a tutti i bambini buoni, eppure l’Epifania è una festa la cui origine nulla avrebbe a che vedere con la vecchina sulla scopa. Ripercorriamo le tradizioni del 6 gennaio, spiegando le origini della festa, l’etimologia della parola Epifania, il significato dei doni dei Re Magi (oro, incenso e mirra) e della Befana (carbone e dolci)
L’Epifania non è un giorno di festa solo per i più piccoli, che dal giorno successivo torneranno tra i banchi di scuola, ma anche per i lavoratori: il 6 gennaio in Italia è un giorno festivo, così come Natale, Santo Stefano e il 1 gennaio. L’Epifania è una festa religiosa cristiana, che celebra il giorno in cui Dio rivelò agli uomini la nascita di suo Figlio, rivelazione che venne fatta ai Re Magi richiamati da lontano a Betlemme dopo aver visto sorgere la stella annunciata dall’Antico Testamento. Il termine Epifania viene dal greco antico epìphaneia che significa appunto “manifestazione, rivelazione, apparizione”. mLa celebrazione della festa è inoltre antichissima e sembra sin dal II secolo d.C. si possano ritrovare delle tracce di queste celebrazioni. In un primo momento le persone però festeggiavano il 6 gennaio il battesimo di Gesù. La setta degli gnostici riteneva infatti che durante il battesimo Cristo si fosse incarnato e non prima.
In un secondo momento, intorno al IV secolo, la Chiesa riuscì a epurare la festa di queste credenze gnostiche e inserirla nei festeggiamenti religiosi dell’Occidente cristiano. Il giorno dell’Epifania si festeggia quindi ancora oggi essendo legato ai riti cristiani e alle tradizioni religiose, che vedono la manifestazione del Figlio di Dio a tutte le genti. L’adorazione di Gesù da parte dei re Magi, provenienti da paesi lontani (la tradizione popolare cristiana li vorrebbe ognuno proveniente da un diverso continente e con il nome di Melchiorre, Baldassarre e Gaspare), rappresenta infatti la manifestazione del Bambino Gesù come Dio a tutti i popoli (non solo agli ebrei) e quindi a tutta l’umanità.
I doni portati dai Re Magi a Gesù nell’episodio narrato nel vangelo di Matteo non sono casuali:l’oro è un dono degno di un re e serve a simboleggiare la regalità di Gesù
l’incenso è una resina aromatica che sprigiona profumo quando bruciata ed è usato nelle chiese anche oggi nelle funzioni religiose. Quando bruciato l’incenso emana un fumo profumato che dalla terra può diffondersi nell’aria fino ad arrivare a Dio e, proprio essendo destinato a venerare Dio, come dono sta a simboleggiare la divinità di Gesù.
la mirra è il dono più misterioso forse oggi, ma non ai tempi di Gesù, in quanto si tratta di una resina che si utilizzava sui morti per profumarli e per imbalsamare i cadaveri. Il dono simboleggia l’umanità di Gesù.
La figura della Befana è giunta invece in un secondo momento e non ha alcun tipo di legame con i riti cristiani o con la religione. Le leggende che ruotano intorno a questa figura sono moltissime, ma senza dubbio la più interessante e suggestiva è quella che vede in questa vecchina la personificazione di Madre Natura. Secondo alcune leggende infatti la Befana altri non sarebbe che Madre Natura, avvizzita e invecchiata, dal momento che in questo periodo dell’anno il freddo la porta ad essere poco attraente. I doni in questo caso sarebbero i regali che essa fa alle persone per ricordare a tutti che tornerà, tra qualche mese, più bella e lussureggiante che mai.
Un’altra leggenda che risulta molto interessante è quella che lega sacro e profano, mettendo insieme le figure dei Magi e quella della Befana. Secondo questa favola popolare infatti la Befana altri non era che una vecchina, che abitava sulla strada che percorsero i Magi per recarsi alla mangiatoia di Cristo. La donna, essendo troppo intenta a fare le pulizie, decise di vedere il passaggio dei Re Magi al loro rientro. I tre però al ritorno fecero una strada diversa e non il percorso vicino alla casa della vecchina, così la Befana ogni 6 gennaio aspetta ancora di vederli passare. In un’altra versione invece la donna li avrebbe cacciati, perché troppo impegnata, ma poi, sentendosi in colpa, si sarebbe recata in strada per donare dolci a tutto il vicinato e da quel momento ripeterebbe questo gesto.
Le storie su questa vecchia donna sono moltissime: per alcuni la Befana è la moglie di Babbo Natale e con lui vive al Polo Nord tutto l’anno, per altri invece la Befana vive tra i tetti di Piazza Navona a Roma e per questo ogni anno la si può trovare in piazza in mezzo alle bancarelle. Ovviamente tutte le storie sono di derivazione popolare e nel tempo sono mutate, mostrando però sempre l’importanza di questo personaggio nelle celebrazioni.
La sovrapposizione della sua figura con quella dei Re Magi e con la rivelazione che Dio fece ai tre non ha quindi alcun significato religioso, ma si tratta solo di una delle tante forme di sincretismo religioso che si sono sviluppate nei secoli.
Il giorno dell’Epifania tutti i bambini in Italia si svegliano e trovano in casa una calza piena di dolci, ma solo se si è stati buoni. I bambini che si sono comportati male infatti nella calza troveranno solo carbone. Il carbone si lega ad una delle tante leggende che ruotano intorno alla figura della Befana e della sua percezione. Secondo una credenza popolare infatti la Befana incarnerebbe l’anno vecchio che va via e proprio per questo sarebbe una donna anziana.
Per tutti coloro che durante l’anno precedente si sono impegnati e hanno fatto del loro meglio la Befana porta dolci e leccornie per premiarli, diversamente chi non ha messo impegno riceve carbone, segno della sterilità delle proprie azioni.
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