La Befana
On the night before Epiphany, an old woman on a broomstick flies over Italy, leaving sweets for good children and coal for naughty ones.
What was reported
In Italian tradition, La Befana is an old woman who flies through the sky on her broomstick on the night of 5 January, coming down chimneys to fill children's stockings with sweets, or with lumps of coal if they've been bad. She also sweeps the floor before she leaves.
One legend says the Three Wise Men stopped at her house on their way to Bethlehem and invited her to come. She was too busy, changed her mind too late, and has been searching for the child ever since.
Explanations offered
La Befana probably has roots in older midwinter customs. Her name comes from Epifania, Epiphany. The town of Urbania in the Marche claims to be her home and holds a large festival every January.
- When
- Every 5–6 January
- Where
- Urbania, Marche, Italy
- Witnesses
- Italian tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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