Feature
December
22
Where’s Your Elf?
by Mary Downer
Who’s that all dressed in red, checking to see who’s been naughty or nice before Christmas? The answer used to be Santa Claus, but now in many households, that job belongs to Santa’s elf!
Families all over the country are turning to the popular book “The Elf on the Shelf” to help start a new family tradition. Authored by mother-daughter duo Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell in 2005, the book tells the story of a scout elf that acts as the eyes and ears of Santa Claus.
The elf cannot be touched, or else he will lose his magic. He keeps a watchful eye on all the members of the household. At night, after everybody is in bed, the elf flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa the names of those who have been naughty and nice. He returns to his family before they wake up. Elves love to hide and play games, so you must be on the lookout for him!
The tradition thickens with local families with the introduction of a North Pole breakfast. On the weekend after Thanksgiving, your elf arrives from the North Pole while your child is asleep. He transforms your breakfast table into a winter wonderland, including lots of snowflakes, and perhaps even invites a few of your child’s other toys to join in, too. The toys dine on Cheerios, or elf doughnuts, while your family enjoys its own holiday favorite. The story is read, and children are reminded to be on their best behavior now that their elf has returned from the North Pole.
For many parents, helping their elf to move around the house each night is the best part. Facebook has been an amazing source for creative places to hide your elf. Pictures abound of little elves getting into all sorts of mischief, from fishing goldfish crackers out of the toilet and dangling from the chandelier, to making “snow” angels out of spilled flour in the kitchen. Various blogs and websites are devoted to parents showcasing their elf’s adventures. Parents can even visit www.elfontheshelf.com to register their elf, print out an adoption certificate with the name they have chosen for their elf, and post pictures to their elf’s own scrapbook to keep track of where the elf has been.
