Warning! SPOILERS about The Santa Clauses episode 3 ahead.

Disney’s The Santa Clauses episode 3 sees The Santa Clause sequel introduce the Befana, whom Scott describes as a witch – here are the Christmas witch and the legend behind the character explained. Scott’s (Tim Allen) realization that the best he could do for his family would be leaving his post as Santa in The Santa Clauses episode 2 makes his daughter Sandra (Elizabeth Allen-Dick) look for help and support in the Wobbly Woods. Indeed, besides animals and her family, there’s someone else Sandra trusts enough to confide in, someone Scott/Santa refers to as the Christmas Witch in The Santa Clauses episode 3, but who prefers to be called by her original name, Befana (Laura San Giacomo).

Disney’s The Santa Clauses accurately depicts the Befana, which is, to this day, still a Christmas staple for those who celebrate the holiday in Italy. The legend behind the Befana describes her as a disheveled old lady bringing candies or coal to kids depending on whether they had misbehaved or had been deemed good, just like the Christmas witch explains in The Santa Clauses episode 3. The legend about the Befana is kept alive in Italy with nursery rhymes, and the character is celebrated on Epiphany day and beforehand when markets dedicated to her appear throughout Italian town squares to mark the Christmas holidays’ end.

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How The Christmas Witch Compares To Santa In Italian Folklore

Laura San Giacomo as the Christmas Witch and Tim Allen as Santa Claus in The Santa Clauses

Santa Claus and the Befana coexist in Italian folklore and are believed to share similarities with religious figures like Saint Nick in the case of Santa Claus (similar to other European countries and more) and Saint Lucia for the Befana. The Santa Clauses’ Christmas Witch hints at the Befana’s ancientness, and while she does so jokingly taking a jab at old times’ rules that caused witches not to “get a sleigh loan without a warlock to cosign," she reveals something true about the legend inspiring her character. Indeed, while Santa Claus has become part of the Italian Christmas celebrations relatively recently, the Befana has been around for longer.

Why Befana Is Said To Be A Witch In The Christmas Legend

Laura San Giacomo as the Christmas Witch La Befana in The Santa Clauses

No special powers were attributed to the Befana according to the legend. However, given her somewhat unkempt appearance – a famous Italian nursery rhyme mentions her run-down shoes – her old age and the use of a broom to travel around, it would make sense for the Befana to be mistaken for a witch. Still, The Santa Clauses’ Befana makes a point to separate herself from more general witches, and technically, Scott is right in The Santa Clauses episode 3 when he uses the offensive term hag to define her rather than consider her a witch, as that would be the name’s accurate translation.

Religious versions of the legend attribute the Befana’s role of bringing candies or coal to children as a way to make up for refusing the 3 Wise Men’s offer to go with them to visit baby Jesus. However, marking winter’s arrival with the presence of old female figures traced back to pagan times and even to Ancient Rome, when they believed that female figures would fly above fields on brooms to bless future harvests in the 12 nights between the winter solstice and the Sol Invictus celebration. Whether pagan or religious, Befana-like figures existed in Italian folklore for centuries, and their presence always had a positive connotation, making the use of witch to describe the Befana slightly counterintuitive.

Is The Santa Clauses' Christmas Witch Good Or Bad?

Laura San Giacomo as the Christmas Witch in The Santa Clauses

The Befana is a pivotal character of The Santa Clauses episode 3, despite appearing only briefly. Although mentioning the word witch to Simon (Kal Penn) makes him worried, especially believing his daughter in her company, and Scott/Santa’s attitude toward the Christmas Witch is neutral at best, the Befana is actually a positive character even in The Santa Clauses. Laura San Giacomo’s character embodies the qualities of the Italian folklore figure, as she proves supportive of Sandra.

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Indeed, the only reason Sandra and Grace (Rupali Redd) find themselves in the Wobbly Woods is Sandra’s need for help and support from someone who isn’t in her family, as they are all excited to move away from the North Pole. The Christmas Witch is not only unabashedly on her side, but she’s also central to making Scott understand that Sandra’s feelings were left overlooked. Hopefully, The Santa Clauses will continue honoring various Christmas traditions just like it did with Italian folklore’s Befana.

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