They hide in trees, they hang on chandeliers, they hide in the fridge, they are the… Elves on the Shelf! The cute little elves, with their big eyes, cute red hats, short hair, and red outfits are known to many. Where will they be tonight? Will they be in a pantry? People have seen it, but does anyone actually believe in it?
The elves are a popular tradition across America. The elves come to peoples’ homes and sit in a hiding spot waiting for children to find them. They sit there watching kids’ behavior. Then, the elves fly to the North Pole at night and return the next morning to be in a new hiding spot. There, the elves report the kids’ behavior to Santa. If someone touches an elf, the elf can then lose its magic. This famous tradition started back in 2005 when Carol Abersold and her daughter, Chanda Bell published the book “The Elf on the Shelf.”
The elves fly around and find a new hiding spot each night. There are many creative spots that elves go to hide. Allison Mahoney, a student at Landrum, says, “One time, I was in my living room, then I went to the kitchen. I came back and my elf was in my fireplace with chocolate all over his face.” Allison enjoys the tradition and finds it fun running around the house. She thought that this was the most creative place she had ever seen her elf. Another student, Val Sala, says, “There was this one time, it was in the fridge, in jam.” Many students at Landrum have experienced the magic of the elf. According to Suzanna Crownover, “There was this one magical time where my cousin had an elf, and it came with us to Paris, when we left it at our house!” Though people love the tradition, many do not believe in the famous elf.
People believe in the elf when they are kids, but when they get to be older, they stop believing. Is the elf real, or is it all a big hoax? In a survey, 12 students do not believe in the Elf on the Shelf, 6 believe, and 2 do not celebrate the tradition. Many of the students who do not believe in the elf, do like the tradition, and celebrate it anyway. Emily Hightower, a 7th grader at Landrum, says, “Yes, I like to believe. Even though I do not think the elf is real, I like to believe because of the spirit of Christmas.” Many other students had similar thoughts to Emily.
As you can see, celebrating the Elf on the Shelf is fun and exciting. It brings joy to people. Some do not believe the elf is real, but does it really matter? Is looking at a child’s excitement enough to believe in the spirit of holidays? Think about how much joy people get when they wake up to find a new challenge. That is the spirit of the holidays. So, maybe the elf is real, maybe it is not, but that does not change the meaning of the holidays.