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Meet the Elf you won't want to leave on the shelf!
If you've been following our blog and having a look around who you can call instead of Santa at the North Pole this year, you'll be familiar with Elf Twinkle Toes, who is currently hard at work making toys for Christmas as well as producing some Christmas Craft Step by Step Guides. Elf Twinkle Toes is far too busy to be sitting on a shelf this year (she says that's a job for junior elves!), but she has let us know about some fantastic and kindly elves and elf-related merchandise you can buy at our friends Elf for Christmas.
But first, the history. Why do we have elves around at Christmas?
Why do we associate Elves with Christmas?
Elves are present in all Northern European folklore, and are either good elves, or bad gnomes. Usually described as tiny creatures, elves are immortal and can do magic. Elves are very kind, but they can be full of mischief!
Hundreds of years ago, the job of an elf was to protect our homes against evil forces. In addition, if you were nice, they would be good to you, and if you weren't...well, you're seeing the origins of the naughty and nice list right here! Although thank goodness they no longer have the habit of sitting on your head when you sleep to give you bad dreams. In Old English, the word for 'elf' is also part of the words for both hiccup and nightmare, both of which they were said to cause.
Elves liked to have a bowl of porridge left on the doorstep at night to keep them well-fed and happy, which is probably where we get the tradition of leaving a snack for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Elves started to creep into Christmas in the mid-19th century, traditionally helping Santa with making and delivering presents to children, with Scandinavian writers responsible for elves getting the good press they deserve at long last.
Modern Christmas elves help Santa to bring Christmas to life, and in addition to their job designing and making toys and games for children, they look after the reindeer and keep Santa's sleigh in tip top flying condition. They also have a tendency to make appearances in homes in the run up to Christmas (often on shelves, funnily enough!) where they make sure that children are well-behaved and report back to the man himself so that he can keep his list up to date.
When do Elves arrive for Christmas?
An elf will traditionally appear in your house on 1st December, having travelled all the way from the North Pole. Don't worry if you don't see them immediately as they might be hiding in a cupboard or drawer, getting to know you and your house. They will certainly put in an appearance before Christmas Day.
The elves that come from our friends at Elf for Christmas
have lovely festive clothes, with striped jumpers and tights, and have all the magic of Christmas. They are perfect for building lasting Christmas memories with your little ones and come complete with a Christmas Elf Magical Reward Kit Box to help you make the festive season full of fun.
Your elf will also come complete with a welcome letter, a behaviour chart, a sheet of stickers, report cards, and Nice List certificates, not to mention Beware of the Elf signs and a Thank You postcard. There are also two blank letters to Santa, ready to post to the North Pole, and a Goodbye Letter for when it's time for your elf to go back to Santa and help get ready for next year (they may decide to put in an appearance once or twice over the course of the year, though, because they're magic!).
Don't forget, once your elf is on display, you are officially under elf surveillance, and Santa Claus will get to find out whether you are good or not!
It's up to the grown-ups to help the elf about their work - or mischief! - and they can even help to suggest Christmas activities that you can get up to in advance of the big day as a family.
What Christmas activities might my elf suggest?
Your elf would always suggest that speaking to Santa Claus in the run up to Christmas is an important part of preparing for the big day. However, due to Covid safety measures, one thing you might be missing this year is a visit to Santa's Grotto to see him live. The restrictions we are currently having to live under with a Covid Christmas mean that visiting Santa face to face is not possible.
However, Santa has had a great idea, and like everyone else this year he is making sure he can speak to as many children as possible over Zoom, with live Santa video calls. He realises that this year has been overwhelming and confusing for everybody, and he knows that some younger children might prefer to speak to kindly Mrs. Claus instead, or even to Elf Twinkle Toes, who is hard at work helping Santa put the finishing touches to Christmas. They are all really looking forward to speaking to as many children in the run up to Christmas and reassuring them that Christmas isn't going anywhere!
For Christmas 2020, children of all ages will love a call with Santa and the opportunity to talk to the big man with the whole family all together. Just book a live video call with Santa and start a new Christmas tradition. Why not book storytime with Santa as an extra bedtime treat to follow your call?
Our friends at Elf for Christmas have a wonderful Christmas storybook called The Christmas Muddle, which Santa Claus will be reading live on Facebook
on 3rd December. We are also delighted to be using their book Elf's First Adventure during our private video calls for Story-Time. It is the perfect Christmas tale of an elf's adventures as he looks for a family that will give him a loving home for the holidays, and a must-buy addition to your Christmas elf that your children will love. It is fair to say that Elf for Christmas is one Elf you can meet that you won't want to leave on the shelf!
Chief Elf (James Bartlett) of Santa's Calling You has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards - Creative Entrepreneur of the Year!
The Grotto is Open! But here’s why it’s still better to book your guaranteed video call with Santa and stay COVID safe this Christmas.
One treat the whole family can enjoy is our new Secret Santa Box, available as an add-on to your video call with Santa. Packed full with items for the whole family to enjoy together, the Secret Santa Box enhances our message that ‘it is not what is under the Christmas Tree that matters, but what is around it that counts’.
