Each year, as children sleep and households grow quiet, an old woman is said to travel the night sky on a broomstick—slipping down chimneys, leaving gifts for some… and coal for others. Known as La Befana, she is often remembered as a kindly Christmas witch, but her origins are far older, stranger, and darker than the folklore suggests.

In this episode, we peel back the cheerful veneer to uncover the ancient roots of La Befana, tracing her story through pagan ritual, Christian myth, and whispered Italian tradition. From her supposed meeting with the Magi to her eternal wandering in search of a child she believes she failed, La Befana’s tale blurs the line between benevolence and curse.

Is she a protector of children—or a reminder that judgment always comes quietly in the night? Tonight, we follow the sound of broom bristles on the rooftop and ask the question few dare to: what happens if La Befana decides you were never meant to receive a gift at all?

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