The Befana is a much-loved character from Italian folklore, whose origins date back to antiquity. According to the legends, she is a very old woman who flies on a broom the night between the 5th and 6th of January, visiting children to fill the stockings they have left hanging above the fireplace or near the window.
The origins of the Befana can probably be traced back to pagan rituals of the 10th-6th centuries B.C., intended to bring good luck.
These were a celebration of the death and re-birth of nature on the 12th night after the winter solstice.
At dusk on the evening of the 5th of January, the Befana arrive to Piazza Unità in Tarvisio, with the basket on their back full of sweets for the children.