What is The Elf on the Shelf and when does it arrive?
ELF on the Shelf is back in the house in the lead-up to Christmas 2023.
Families who buy an Elf on the Shelf can "adopt" it all throughout the festive season to watch over their kids.
What is The Elf on the Shelf?
The Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas tradition that began in 2005, per .
According to the outlet, that year, Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell self-published the book titled The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition.
The book came with a special box that contained a small Scout Elf.
In an interview on The News with Shepard Smith, Bell said the tradition is like a "simple game of hide and seek."
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She continued: "The elf will watch us during the day, report to Santa at night, and in the morning before kids wake up, the elf flies back from the North Pole and lands on a different spot in the house.
"They move around the house, they engage with families, hopefully they bring lots of joy and lots of fun."
According to The Elf on the Shelf website, Scout Elves are "Santa’s most trusted helpers who help him in homes around the world and back at the North Pole.
";Each elf wears a red-and-white suit, a pointy hat and a white collar—that’s how you know they’re an official Scout Elf!"
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The elves do not come with a name, so families have the task of naming their festive friend, as the notes.
It also states: "For an elf, receiving a name is an exciting moment because this allows them to receive their Christmas magic so they can fly to and from the North Pole each night!"
Below are some name examples:
- Chippey
- Snowflake
- Buddy
- Twinkle
- Noelle
- Noah
- Scout
- Dasher
- Peppermint
- Jolly
- Pixie
- Eve
- Chip
- Mistletoe
Elves can also get up to some mischief — from eating the chocolate to playing with toilet paper.
When does the elf arrive and leave?
Most elves arrive during the official Scout Elf Return Week, per .
The 2023 Return Week runs from November 23 to December 1.
The continues: "But even the existence of Scout Elf Return Week doesn’t mean that your elf will return to your home like clockwork!
"All Scout Elves are different, which is why some return at the end of November and others may wait until the second week of December."
The elves then have a few weeks of mischievous fun.
Each morning, children will see what the cheeky elf has got up to overnight.
According to the book , an elf’s job comes to an end the night before Christmas.
On December 24 (Christmas Eve), most Scout Elves say farewell to their families and fly back to the North Pole following Santa’s sleigh.
Any later, they are past their elf expiry date.
They hitch a ride with Santa on his sleigh after he leaves presents under the Christmas tree.
Children say their goodbyes to their new pal before going to bed.
Where can I buy The Elf on The Shelf?
You can buy the Elf on The Shelf from the following retailers:
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Some may also sell accessories including and .