Which Italian witch-like figure delivers gifts on the night of January 5th? La Befana.
La Befana is the Italian folklore figure who delivers gifts to children on Epiphany Eve, the night of 5 January. She is usually portrayed as an old woman or witch riding a broomstick, carrying a sack of sweets, toys, or other presents. Good children receive gifts; badly behaved children may receive coal, often represented by black rock candy.
According to a popular Christian legend, the Three Magi invited Befana to join them on their journey to visit the infant Jesus. She declined because she was busy with housework, then regretted her decision and searched for the child. Unable to find him, she began leaving gifts for children instead. This story is one explanation for her role, not a settled historical origin.
Her name is widely understood as a corruption of Epifania, the Italian word related to Epiphany, though other theories connect her with older pre-Christian traditions. Befana customs vary by region, and some Italian communities emphasize the Three Magi or other gift-bringers rather than her.