We have all heard the famous Christian story of The Three Wise men who made their way through the desert looking for the baby Jesus. The North Star guided their way and the Magi brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, in Italian folklore, a fourth person plays a very important part in the story: her name is La Befana. There are many places you can hear her story and most are the same with some very slight differences.
La Befana was an elderly woman who had been cleaning her house when the Three Wise Men came to her door asking for directions. La Befana had once had a child of her own that passed away at a young age. Although she wished to leave with the men on their journey to find the child, she decided she was far too busy completing her housework. Once the men had long left, she changed her mind. La Befana gathered up the toys that had once belonged to her child in order to give to the baby Jesus. She grabbed her broom to help the new mother with some cleaning. Upon realizing that she hadn’t any clue of which way the men had went, a bright star in the sky appeared (The North Star). Her broom suddenly gained the ability to fly, so she set off on her broom flying through the air…but she never found Jesus.
According to legend, she still roams through the sky continuing on her search. On the sixth of January, each year, she enters homes and leaves goodies in the stockings of young children who have been good and coal in the stocking of children who have been bad. Although she has yet to find the baby Jesus, her search is not in vain, as it brings La Befana great joy to visit the children.