Christmas traditions can have a meaningful impact on how someone remembers their childhood. If you were to ask a group of high school students what their most memorable Christmas tradition was, many of them would likely agree that it was the Elf on the Shelf.
“I was always so excited to get up in the morning and try to find where he was and what he did,” says Sophomore, Bodi McGowan. “His name was Rigby.”
The topic of the Elf on the Shelf evokes feelings of nostalgia among teenagers. It’s almost as if the Elves each have their own unique personality, and ironically, they are portrayed as pretty mischievous despite their roles.
“Elf on the Shelf is actually my favorite thing ever,” exclaims Henry Erbe, Junior. The tradition clearly means a lot to Erbe, and his parents seem to have outdone themselves with their Elf, named Crispy. “I remember there was this hallway with a bookcase, and I’d always walk past it and somehow, in just five minutes, my parents set him up with this whole decoration, and I was like freaking out. I remember yelling, ‘Crispy is here, Crispy is here!’”
Though Christmas doesn’t feel the same as it used to, there does seem to be hope; parents are obviously having possibly even more fun, just seeing the joy on their kids’ faces when they walk into the room and see their Elf’s new hiding spot.
Senior Ava Moulton’s parents also went all out in creativity during the Christmas season. Moulton had two Elves: a girl named Jingle, and a boy named Doodle. “One of my favorite ones that my mom did was when she put both of the Elves in a little Barbie car and put a banner on the back that said ‘just married’. It was so cute,” says Moulton.
As most people know, there is one very important rule when it comes to the Elf on the Shelf: you can’t touch them, or they will lose their magic.
“One time I touched him, and I had a heart attack because of it,” Erbe shares. Junior, Denae Lardge, had a similar experience. “One time I touched it and my parents found out, and they told me it was gonna lose all its magic and I literally cried for hours,” she expresses.
“I really liked finding them every day,” Moulton shares. She goes on to say, “It was really magical because obviously I didn’t know that my mom was the one moving them; I really believed in it.”
From naming the elves, to the eager determination to find their hiding spot each morning, it’s no question that these elves played a strong role in children’s Christmas experiences. We can only hope that that magical feeling will return with coming generations.
