The Stories Behind Christmas Traditions
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Elf on the Shelf: The Little Visitor Who Became a Christmas Tradition
How did one family’s Christmas elf become a holiday favorite?
Imagine coming downstairs on a December morning and noticing something strange.
The little elf that was sitting on the mantelpiece yesterday has disappeared. After a quick search, you spot it peeking out from behind a row of books.
How did it get there?
Well, that’s part of the magic.
For many families, finding their Elf on the Shelf has become a favorite part of the Christmas countdown. But unlike some traditions that have been around for centuries, this one has a surprisingly recent beginning.
It All Started With an Elf Named Fisbee
Back in the 1970s, the Aebersold family had a little Christmas visitor named Fisbee.
Every December, Fisbee would appear around the house, always finding a new hiding place after his nightly journey to Santa. The Aebersold children loved waking up and racing to discover where their elf had landed.
Years later, Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell decided to share their family tradition with the world.
In 2005, they published The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, a children’s storybook accompanied by a little elf. What began as a family memory soon found its way into homes far beyond their own.
And the idea was wonderfully simple.
According to the story, each Scout Elf is sent by Santa to visit a family during the Christmas season. Every night, the elf flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa, then returns to a different spot in the house before morning.
Families give their elf a name, and the original story asks children not to touch it, so its Christmas magic stays safe. On Christmas Eve, the elf returns to the North Pole until the next holiday season.
Of course, the real excitement is discovering what that cheeky little visitor has been up to overnight.
Some families create elaborate scenes with miniature props and funny surprises. Others simply move their elf from one shelf to another.
And really, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes the smallest surprises bring the biggest smiles.
Three Easy Ways to Have Fun With Your Christmas Elf
A little imagination goes a long way. Here are three simple ways to turn your elf’s daily appearance into something children can look forward to.
1. The Morning Elf Hunt
This is the classic game, and perhaps the easiest of all.
Each evening, find a new place for your elf. It might sit between the books, peek out from a Christmas stocking, or perch on top of the kitchen cupboards.
In the morning, everyone tries to spot where the little visitor has landed.
Want to make it trickier? Choose hiding places that are a little less obvious as Christmas gets closer.
2. A Tiny Message from the North Pole
Sometimes your elf might arrive with a little note.
It could be a funny Christmas question, a miniature riddle, or a playful challenge for the day.
“Can you invent a name for Santa’s newest reindeer?”
“What’s your funniest Christmas joke?”
“Find five things in the house that are red or green!”
Keep the messages short and lighthearted. There’s no need to prepare a big activity every morning.
3. The Elf’s Silly Little Mix-Up
Your elf seems to have got itself into a rather funny situation overnight.
Perhaps it’s wearing a paper crown that’s far too big, sitting in a toy car, or tucked into a mitten as if it were a sleeping bag.
Children can invent a story about what happened.
How did the elf end up there? What was it trying to do? And what might it get up to tomorrow?
The sillier the explanation, the better!
Welcome a Little Christmas Visitor
Thinking about starting your own elf tradition? A storybook and a little Christmas elf are all you need to begin, although a few playful accessories can add to the fun.
Explore Christmas Elf Sets & Accessories
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Christmas Stockings: Little Surprises, Old Traditions
Why do we hang Christmas stockings by the fireplace?
There’s something lovely about a Christmas stocking hanging by the fireplace. It’s empty on Christmas Eve, but by morning, it’s somehow filled with little surprises.
Maybe there’s a chocolate Santa, a tiny gift, a handful of candy, or that familiar orange tucked right into the toe.
But have you ever wondered why we hang stockings in the first place? The story takes us back much further than the Christmas stockings we know today.
The Legend of St. Nicholas and the Three Sisters
According to an old legend, St. Nicholas once heard about a poor father who was struggling to provide for his three daughters.
Wanting to help without embarrassing the family, Nicholas secretly gave them gifts of gold. In one popular version of the story, the gold landed in stockings that had been hung by the fireplace to dry.
When the family discovered the unexpected gifts, their worries were lifted.
Whether the gold really found its way into those stockings is impossible to know. But the story became part of the folklore surrounding St. Nicholas, whose generosity helped inspire many of our Christmas traditions.
And remember that orange sometimes found at the bottom of a Christmas stocking?
One explanation is that it represents the golden gifts from the legend. Another is much simpler: fresh oranges were once a special winter treat, making them a wonderful little Christmas surprise.
By 1823, hanging stockings was already a familiar custom in America. The famous poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, better known as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, describes stockings waiting by the chimney for Santa’s arrival.
Over time, ordinary socks gave way to the colorful, personalized Christmas stockings we know today. But the excitement of discovering what’s inside has never really changed.
Three Fun Ways to Make Christmas Stockings More Special
Who says Christmas stockings are only for Santa to fill? Here are three little traditions you can enjoy with family and friends.
1. The Secret Stocking: Three Golden Surprises
Inspired by the legend of St. Nicholas, this little tradition is all about surprising someone with something thoughtful.
Prepare three small notes:
- A Little Thank You: Something you appreciate about the person.
- A Favorite Memory: A funny or lovely moment you’ve shared.
- A Little Surprise: A promise to do something together, like baking cookies, going for a winter walk, or having a movie night.
Secretly slip the notes into someone’s Christmas stocking.
On Christmas morning, they can discover their three golden surprises and try to guess who wrote them.
No expensive gifts needed. Just a few words that might become someone’s favorite part of Christmas.
2. What’s Hiding in the Stocking?
Here’s a simple Christmas guessing game that works for almost any age.
Fill a large Christmas stocking with five small, safe objects. Think of a cookie cutter, a pinecone, a ribbon, a little toy, or a Christmas ornament.
Players take turns feeling the objects through the stocking without looking inside.
Can they guess what’s hiding in there?
Give everyone a point for each correct answer, then reveal the mysterious contents. You might be surprised how difficult it is to recognize even the most familiar little objects!
3. A Stocking Full of Next Year’s Memories
This one is a little tradition you can bring back every Christmas.
Give everyone a small piece of paper and ask them to write down one favorite memory from the past year and one thing they’re looking forward to.
Fold the notes and place them in a special Christmas stocking.
Then put the stocking away with your Christmas decorations, without opening the notes again.
Next December, bring it out and read what everyone wrote. Some wishes might have come true, others might make you laugh, and a few memories may have been almost forgotten.
Then write new notes for the following year.
It’s a lovely way to watch your family’s Christmas story grow, one year at a time.
Little Surprises for Christmas Stockings
Sometimes the smallest gifts bring the biggest smiles! From sweet treats and tiny surprises to thoughtful little gifts, here are some fun stocking stuffer ideas for kids and grown-ups alike.
Pick a few little favorites, tuck them into a Christmas stocking, and make Christmas morning even more special!
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