Babooshka
La Befana is the witch who delivers presents to Italian children on the eve of Epiphany, January 5th. According to legend, she is an old woman who brings gifts and candy to well-behaved children and coal to naughty ones.
Befana delivers gifts to children in Italy on Epiphany Eve.
In Italy, Christmas presents are traditionally brought by a witch named La Befana. According to folklore, she delivers gifts to children on the night of January 5th, known as Epiphany Eve. La Befana is said to ride on her broomstick, filling stockings with sweets for good children and coal for those who misbehave. This custom adds a unique twist to the holiday gift-giving tradition in Italy.
Italy
yes she is called la befana
North-eastern hemisphere.
North-eastern hemisphere.
A witch that steals children is commonly known as a child-stealing witch or child-snatching witch. Folklore and mythology from various cultures depict such witches as malicious beings who abduct children for various nefarious reasons.
Alcoa Presents One Step Beyond - 1959 Make Me Not a Witch 2-14 was released on: USA: 22 December 1959
Le Befana, the Italian Christmas witch, rides on a broomstick to deliver presents to children on the night of January 5th, which is known as Epiphany Eve. According to tradition, she visits homes, filling stockings with gifts for well-behaved children and coal for the naughty ones. Her character is steeped in folklore, embodying the spirit of giving and the magic of the holiday season.
The night of January 5th, the Christian feast of the Epiphany, is when La Befana appears in Italy. It will be nice to receive her gifts in the morning but it will not be nice -- the result will be a whack of her broomstick -- to try to see her during her gift-giving since she has a lot of things to do and places to go.
When the children defeat the witch !