The World 12-06-17

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS | NEW TRADITIONS
Elf on the Shelf
Elf on the Shelf has transformed into
a 21st Century Christmas tradition
with “The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas
Tradition” — a children’s picture book
written by Carol Aebersold and Chanda
Bell, and illustrated by Coe Steinwart.
While forms of this tradition
have existed around the
world for centuries, this
Christmas-themed story of an
elf who keeps Santa informed
about who is naughty and
who is nice exponentially
increased the popularity of
the tradition.
INTRODUCING ELF
While Elf starts off a wonderful
Christmas season with
a bang, be sure not to introduce
him too soon. You don’t
want him to run out of ideas
or let time steal the novelty
out of the activity for your
children.
It is customary for Elf to
appear no earlier than
December 1. Many people
also see their Elf for the first
time the night the family decorates
the Christmas tree.
STICK TO SIMPLE
SHENANIGANS
Elf should be able to get
into her position easily, and
she shouldn’t raise the expectation
too much, too soon.
If she gets up to very complicated
hijinks early in the
season, she might run out of
mischievous and creative
ideas before Christmas.
Pinterest is a great tool for
finding out what kind of shenanigans
other families’ Elves
have gotten into.
AN ELF IS AN
ELF IS AN ELF
While the commercialism
of Elf is deep-seated, you don’t
have to have the advertised
Elf. Anything can be an Elf.
Any small figurine or stuffed
animal will do, with a dose of
Christmas magic, of course.
SET A REMINDER
This is especially important
if you’ve set the expectation
that Elf is up to something different
each night.
Don’t let Elf forget to adventure
around the house, so you
won’t have disappointed or
confused little faces in the
morning.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Remember, there is no official
rule book. Maybe your elf
appears in a different spot
each morning, or maybe he
only appears when the kids
have been good.
Maybe he brings treats or
small notes with him. There is
no right or wrong way to start
an Elf tradition. He is just
there to add another dash of
magic to the season.
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page 22 The WORLD December 6, 2017
The history of Christmas stockings
Just when the excitement of opening presents abates
after the last of the packages under the Christmas tree
have been torn open, children and adults alike may discover
that there are more treats to be had nestled inside
of stockings hung on the mantle.
The hanging of Christmas stockings is a tradition with
an extensive history. Several legends attribute the hanging
of stockings to different people or events. Here is a look at
some of the stories that have made Christmas stockings so
popular.
ST. NICHOLAS DAY
Rather than hanging stockings on Christmas, many countries
celebrate Saint Nicholas Day on December 6, and this
is when stockings are proudly left out for treats. The small,
inexpensive trinkets are later unwrapped and enjoyed on
Christmas Day.
DUTCH HERITAGE
One tradition says that, in 16th century Holland, children
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kept their clogs filled with straw in front of the hearth for
Santa’s reindeer to find. They also left treats for Santa Claus.
In return, Santa would leave gifts in the clogs. Over time,
stockings were swapped out for clogs.
MERCHANT’S FAMILY STORY
A popular tale tells the story of a merchant, his wife and
three daughters. After the wife falls ill and dies, the man
becomes devastated and squanders all of his wealth on
frivolous things to mask his sadness. When it comes time for
the daughters to marry, the man does not have money for a
dowry. St. Nicholas hears of the plight and knows the man
would be too proud to accept charity. Therefore, St. Nicholas
anonymously tosses three bags of gold coins down the chimney.
The man’s daughters had done the laundry prior and
left their stockings hanging by the fireplace to dry. The gold
landed in the stockings, thus starting the Christmas stocking
tradition.
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