Once upon a time it was a witch who was the holiday gift-giver. In old Italian folklore the Santa Claus figure was a witch (some say fairy) who brought presents to good children.
Every Epiphany Eve (January 5th), the good witch Befana would come down the chimneys and leave a present for each child. According to legend, the Three Wise Men stopped by Befana’s humble cottage to ask for directions to Bethlehem. Befana pointed to the bright star and told the wise men to follow it. Offering their thanks, the wise men invited Befana along so that she could meet the Christ Child. Befana explained that she had far too much housework to do and was unable to travel with them.
After they headed out following the star, Befana felt very guilty and ran through her cottage grabbing up toys to take to the infant Jesus. On the night of January 5th, she travels the land, stopping at each home to leave a present just in case the Christ Child resides there. Even today the legend of Befana remains popular in many parts of Italy.
On the night of the Winter Solstice, St. Thomas is said to travel across the land in a flaming chariot. At midnight ( a threshold time) on December 21st, Thomas is believed to visit cemeteries and resurrect every man named Thomas. At this moment the churchyard cross is believed to give off a supernatural glow. Thomas stands before the cross offering a prayer and a blessing to the ghosts of the men who share his name. When he finishes, the dead men return to their graves and St. Thomas vanishes. In this instance St. Thomas may be taking over the role of the earlier pagan deity Odin, who was believed to rule over the souls of the dead.
In Merry Old England the night of St. Thomas Day was a time when poor folks went door to door begging for food, libation, or money for the Christmas holidays. This trick-or-treat style practice went by the name of “a-good-in,” “a-Thomassin,” or even “a-mumping.” In exchange for this act of charity, the beggars would offer up a sprig of mistletoe or holly to help give the charitable homeowners the start of a good year. My own suspicion is that this may also be one of many folk practices that led the way to both trick-or-treating and Christmas Caroling.
In old Macedonia, it was boys who offered olive branches to well-wishers on New Year’s Eve. Such rituals were obviously done to get the New Year off on the proverbial right foot. And so it goes.