The Elf Cometh

I know it’s only the middle of November and I should just calm the eff down but I got a reader request to write about Christmas traditions. Tradition by definition is a long-established custom or belief that has been passed on.

Every family has a tradition that is passed on from generations before but I think it’s equally important to create new traditions as families grow. When my girls grow up I want them to know that they were the inspiration for the traditions that we started.

 

A couple of years ago we adopted a scout elf. The Elf on a Shelf is a small felt bodied elf that comes every year on December 1st. He is sent from Santa to watch over the children’s behaviour during the season of giving AKA 24 days of good behaviour from your kids just by reminding them that “Stanley” is watching. As the storybook (that comes with the elf) reads, each night when the children go to sleep the elf flies back to the north pole to report to Santa on the status of each child. This funny little elf returns to the house each morning before dawn and sits in a new spot in the house. The kids search each morning for his new hiding spot. Stanley has been found on the Christmas tree, light fixtures, book shelves, mantles and even in the kid rooms. There’s no shortage of elf inspiration on Pinterest for places to put him and pranks to set him up doing. The trick is to remember to move him every single night! On Christmas Eve Stanley flies back to the north pole as his work is done but before he departs he leaves a gift for each child. In our house he leaves new Christmas PJ’s for the kids to wear on Christmas morning. My kids LOVE Stanley. They start asking me when Stanley will arrive sometime in October and the countdown begins to December 1st. A DVD movie is even available to really get the magic ingrained. Also available this year are little red and white skirts (sold separately) to make your Elf on a Shelf a girl.

One of the first traditions we started as a family after we had kids was for Christmas eve. This is how it goes…We spend the day watching Christmas movies. I prep the “wife saver” brunch dishes for Christmas day. Then in the afternoon I gather the kids in the kitchen and we make a horrible mess which hopefully results in sugar cookie dough. We put it in the fridge to chill until we bake them after dinner to set out for Santa. Last year I was so busy getting ready for Christmas day and making cookies that I actually forgot to plan anything for Christmas Eve dinner. I’m pretty sure the 3 wise men ate KD so it’s all good. After a snack of sugar cookies and a plate is set out for the big guy we gather around our elf, Stanley, and bid him farewell until next year. We read Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas and then it’s off to sleep.

 

 

These are just a couple of traditions we have in our house at Christmas. What kind of traditions do you have?