PREECEVILLE — A Preeceville family has said goodbye to their elf on the shelf for the second year. It's become a bit of Christmas magic for the Arnifinson family.
The Elf on the Shelf is a 2005 American picture book for children and tells a Christmas-themed story, written in rhyme, that explains how Santa Claus knows who is naughty and nice. It describes elves visiting children from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, after which they return to the North Pole until the next holiday season. The Elf on the Shelf comes in a keepsake box that features a hardbound picture book and a small scout elf. The story was inspired by a family tradition that started with Carol Aebersold when she was a child, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and which she later carried on with her twin daughters, Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts, in Georgia.
The tradition described in the book saw wider adoption as a result of its publication, including being widely shared on social media.
The book tells the story of a scout elf who hides in people's homes to watch over events. Once everyone goes to bed, the scout elf flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa the activities, good and bad, that have taken place throughout the day. Before the family wakes up each morning, the scout elf flies back from the North Pole and hides. By hiding in a new spot around the house each morning, the scout elf plays an ongoing game of hide and seek with the family.
Jessica Arnfinson of Preeceville explained that this is the second year for Sparky, the Elf at the family's home.
“The kids and I get pure excitement and magic out of it! The elf comes to bring laughter, magic, and excitement to homes for the days leading up to the holidays," said Jessica Arnifson of Preeceville. " My kids wake up every morning so excited to see what the elf has done! Sometimes it's a trick and sometimes it's something sweet! The kids fully believe in his magic, and if you touch him, his magic is taken away, and he will no longer be a Christmas elf! They also believe that each elf is sent by Santa! Our elf is named Sparky.
"We (the elf) have wrapped all our kitchen cupboards in wrapping paper to look like presents!
"He has fully decorated the ceiling in our living room in hanging snowflakes one year too!
"And the kids absolutely start asking, usually when they see Christmas decorations in stores come out, 'When does the elf come!?' Which most homes do on Dec 1st and leaves Christmas Eve, catching a ride back to the North Pole with Santa,” she said.
The Elf on the Shelf explains that scout elves get their magic by being named and loved by a child. In the back of each book, families have an opportunity to write their elf's name and the date that they adopted it. Once the elf is named, the scout elf receives its special Christmas magic, which allows it to fly to and from the North Pole.
The book tells how the magic might disappear if the scout elf is touched, so the rule in the book states, "There's only one rule that you have to follow, so I will come back and be here tomorrow: Please do not touch me. My magic might go, and Santa won't hear all I've seen or I know." Although families are told not to touch their scout elf, they can speak to it and tell it all their Christmas wishes, so that it can report back to Santa accurately.
The story ends on Christmas Day, with the elf leaving to stay with Santa for the rest of the year, until the following Christmas season.
The Elf on the Shelf story was written in 2005 by Carol Aebersold and daughter, Chanda Bell, over a cup of tea. Bell suggested they write a book about a well-known tradition of an elf sent from Santa who came to watch over them at Christmas time. Aebersold's other daughter, Christa Pitts, was recruited by the family to share her expertise in sales and marketing. Together, the trio devoted the next three years to promoting their self-published book and attending book signings and trade shows.
The Elf on the Shelf won the Best Toy Award by Learning Express in 2008. It won Book of the Year Award from Creative Child Awards and the National Best Books 2008 Award sponsored by USA Book News.
