{"product_id":"the-befana-is-returning-the-story-of-a-tuscan-festival-hardcover","title":"The Befana Is Returning: The Story of a Tuscan Festival - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eSteve Siporin\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the night of January 5, in certain areas of southern Tuscany, a costumed, singing troupe of characters visits residents' homes, expecting to be fed and feted in a folk custom that has recurred in the region for centuries. This is the Befanata, a mumming tradition centered in Tuscany, whose main character-the Befana-is a kindly old woman or grandmotherly witch who delivers toys, candies, and gifts. Part of the Christmas season, the Befana is familiar in some form in much of Italy, but very little has been written about her, despite sustained interest in European mumming traditions in general. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The Pigitliano Befanata is distinct in its emphasis on song and strong in its richly symbolic use of food, which is not only consumed at each home but is also carried away as a gift. The characters who make up the squad are unique to the Italian practice. They always include the Befana and her husband, the Befano, but other members of the \u003ci\u003ebefanotti\u003c\/i\u003e vary from place to place over time. Siporin combines fieldwork and archival evidence to introduce the Befanata and its historical and social contexts: what it is, what it means, and how it feels. \u003ci\u003eThe Befana Is Returning\u003c\/i\u003e is a deeply researched, deftly insightful presentation of this living tradition that adds a large missing piece to the array of contemporary ethnographic scholarship on mumming.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSteve Siporin is professor emeritus in English and history (folklore) at Utah State University, where he also served as the director of the folklore program and coordinator for public folklore studies. He is the author, coeditor, and translator of several books, most recently \u003ci\u003eStories of Jewish Life: Casale Monferato-Rome-Jerusalem, 1876-1985\u003c\/i\u003e by Augusto Sergre.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 312\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.81 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 16, 2022\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51783456162080,"sku":"9780299337308","price":92.11,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/8898bd2cff1d27bce6697450e47e7045.webp?v=1780587994","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-befana-is-returning-the-story-of-a-tuscan-festival-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}