The elf on a shelf is a new Christmas tradition, the elf on a shelf book explains the story that Santa sends the elf to children and to watch the children to make sure that the children aren’t naughty. He’s Santa’s little helper known as a scout elf. The Children have to name the elf when they receive it so it can start its job watching the children. While the children are asleep the elf actually flies off to report to Santa on what he has seen. The elf is said to follow the children while they’re gone and is supposed to move around the house to spy on the children. If the elf is touched by the children he might lose his “magic” and he’s not allowed to move while children are watching. Its Santa’s law to not speak to any children but he can listen to the children. On the night before Christmas the elf goes back to Santa and spends the rest of the year at the north pole.

The fun little festive doll is a new tradition that came along with millennials. The toy originates from a book names “elf on a shelf” that was published in 2005 but the actual elf dolls have been around. Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell wrote the elf on a shelf book in 2005 and along with it they sold box sets like you can find today containing the elf on a shelf book and the scout elf doll. The dolls look of sitting and hugging his knees has been around for a lot longer. It’s a decades old design of an old elf ornament that the two writers revived and wrote a background for and started selling again.

On the elf on a shelf website they sell a couple different characters including a Saint Bernard and a Reindeer. The Saint Bernard wears a barrel like a typical saint Bernard but instead of Brandy this one carries a magical heart charm embedded into his barrel allowing it to collect cheer which is then released on the night before Christmas to help keep the North Pole magical and to help Santa deliver his presents on time because we all know he uses magic to do that. The Reindeer on the other hand wears a heart charm around its neck and you have to adopt the reindeer directly from the north pole. The heart charm stores Christmas cheer every time you cuddle it and it serves the same purpose as the Saint Bernard’s Christmas Magic.

Finally, there are a couple more ways you can help Santa by just dressing up your elf or buying tools for him to help him around the house there are 16+ outfits ranging from a yellow raincoat to a black parka. The tools could be anything from a peppermint grappling hook to Christmas climbing books. If you’re looking for a modern Christmas tradition involving an elf that watches your kids for Santa go no further, the elf on a shelf Is a great tradition to start anytime and can be fun for generations for a cheap game of hide and seek with an elf.