The naughty little elves of Santa Claus: What do they do?
Christmas is undoubtedly the season to meet friends and family, isn’t it? Your friends and family members come over to have dinner together and it’s so much fun. However, the person we wait for most eagerly during this festive season is none other than Santa Claus! But another bunch of visitors comes before Santa. They observe you and decides whether you are on the good or naughty list. They create a huge mess when they come to you. Can you guess who they are? The naughty little helpers of Santa Clause, the elves. If we are to believe legends, these mischievous elves love to spill your breakfast cereal, play with your toys, climb up the Christmas tree, throw tinsels, eat candies, and leave footprints all around! Christmas would be incomplete without them. You must have seen them in movies like Elf on the Shelf (2010), Prep and Landing (2009), and the classic comedy Elf (2003) and had a good laughter at the hijinks these cute little elves caused. Santa Claus's hardworking and naughty assistants have a long history. Let’s know more about them as we enjoy the Christmas Eve.
The Christmas elf tradition
Aside from the gift-giving tradition of Christmas, people all over the world enjoy the Christmas elf custom! It's a joyful tradition in which imaginary elves visit people's homes to carry out a mission assigned to them by none other than Father Santa Claus! What is the mission? Segregating children into the ‘naughty or nice’ list! The elves hide and observe kids’ behaviour, creating a report for Santa. They occasionally become bored while on duty and cause all kinds of trouble. Well, the tradition of elf surveillance began with a children's storybook, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition authored by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Bell Chanda in 2005.
Who are elves?
Every country has its own version of the tradition. But who are these elves, actually? According to folklore, elves are creatures with adorable little faces, teeny tiny clothes, dressed in striped jumpers and tights, and brimming with Christmas charm! These tiny magical beings who are immortal! They first appeared in Norse mythology and were called Alfar. They were known to cause illness and slowly made their way to folklore. Every strange occurrence in a house was blamed on them. In Britain, if you found tangles in your horse's hair, it was believed that the elf caused it overnight! The tangles were called ‘elf locks’!
From manipulative magical beings to Santa’s helpers
Elves were originally thought to be the invention of Germanic paganism, who believed they were creatures of light and lived in heaven. They were depicted as magical beings who lived underground in forests, springs, and wells, and could manipulate people.
This is very different from the way they are perceived now! But what caused this shift in their portrayal? Well, the Scandinavians thought they were house gnomes who protected their homes from evil. The elves were nice if you were good, but they would play tricks on you if you were bad. Just like they do now! In the mid-1800s, Scandinavian writers and artists revealed to the world their perspective that elves were Santa Claus' helpers. Christmas celebrations were becoming more popular at the time, and well-known authors also started depicting the role of elves as modern-day helpers of Santa Claus. They were reintroduced to the world as Christmas elves leaving behind their old name, house gnomes. That's a good thing, because house gnome doesn't sound very Christmassy, does it?
How do elves help Santa?
Legends would have us believe that Santa Claus' workshop is located somewhere on the Koryatunturi mountains in Finland. This is where he makes gifts for children. The elves are Santa Claus's devoted and hardworking helpers. They assist Santa in designing toys, tending to children's requests, and caring for his reindeer and sleigh. The number of elves employed by Santa is unknown. Some say there are six, while others say there are thirteen! Whatever the exact number is, when you write a thank you note to Santa this year, don't forget to thank these elves for their service too!