The elf on the shelf: a new Christmas tradition to adopt?
The elf … what? Don you know this “new” Anglo-Saxon Christmas tradition? If not I suggest you have a look at it, because like many other traditions, I bet it will invade us sooner or later.
First a little bit of background: this is a Santa’s elf-shaped doll which comes from the North Pole to help Santa establish his “naughty list” and “nice list”. Already, it makes me rise my eyebrows: I have always refused to blackmail Santa Claus to my children, so I don’t like the idea of sending them a spy elf! But let’s pass on this detail … The Elf comes from the North Pole to your house, then with the help of your children you give it a name and it becomes “magical” and goes into service …
During the day it remains motionless and must not be touched, but at night it goes back to the North Pole to make its report, then returns to your house and in the morning your children look for him throughout the house. The game is to make it change place every night (note that everybody online warns: do not forget to put an alarm as a reminder to change its place EVERY night!). Purists practice the game between Thanksgiving and Christmas but lazy ones advise not to start the game until early December…
According to my online research this game originated in 2004 when a book of the same title told this story. Obviously the commercial spirit has quickly seized it and you can find in the trade (in Anglo-Saxon countries, and especially in the United States) elves of different skin colors as well as male and female. You can also buy it clothes, stuffed friends like reins and St. Bernard dogs, andso on.
In 2014, during our American stay, I didn’t hear anyone mention this tradition among our American friends and acquaintances. Perhaps the practice of this tradition was still limited in our area, or perhaps no one in our neighborhood had thought of bragging about it?
But in fact this tradition cleaves very much: once you have learned the very existence of this new tradition, you can find tons of pro parents and some cons.
Those who are against object first that for some parents it is above all a way to shine online. Indeed some are happy to invent comical scenes and … to publish their creations on Pinterest (among others).
But cons also argue the lack of time. Because imagining and creating these small scenes is very time consuming! Some even push the attention to details until adding Velcros and wires on and inside the unfortunate elf to better manipulate it.
On my side I even have doubts about some of the fans of the elf being parents! Indeed where do they find time to add a new time-consuming tradition to this already overloaded December month? Between preparing celebrations, buying gifts, attending festivals and Christmas markets in schools and other extra-curricular activities of kiddos, purchasing and decorating a Christmas tree, preparing Christmas and New Year’s meals, plus your everyday life, we all have already enough in our plates … Unless these parents have more hours within their days than us, I swing between admiration and disbelief!
This is definitely a tradition I will hesitate to adopt. What about you?
One Comment
Zouzou
Je pratique cette tradition depuis cette année pour mon fils de 4ans et je trouve votre article très réducteur.
Pour ma part les elfs ne sont pas là pour voir si notre fils est sage ou non mais sont là en vacance !
Ensuite les mise en scène vont très vite pas besoin d’y passer des heures pour faire briller les yeux de nos enfants et pourtant j’ai tout autant des journées chargés comme beaucoup. C’est une coutume que j’ai adoré et adhéré à sa lecture donc nous voilà parti dans cette jolie aventure des lutins farceur et j’espère perdurera. Voilà mon avis.