I know many parents are tired of ELF on the SHELF, are you? Food Network even had a baking competition that revolved around the ELF on the SHELF last year. I’m not sure if they’re having it this year, but I probably won’t be watching that one again.
I have always loved the actual idea of ELF on the SHELF and have made a list each year of the antics they would get into that year so I could be prepared and hopefully not repeat myself too much!
My munchkins have grown up fast! 2 of 3 of them “KNEW”, but the youngest still believed and we tried keeping the elf/nisse tradition alive another year! BUT, her teacher told the whole class a couple years ago! Who does that? I was soooooo mad! First off it wasn’t her place to tell the kids and what kind of person, especially a teacher, steals a child’s belief of anything? These days the munchkins all tower over me in their teens and our elf/Nisse has become a sentimental fixture in the Christmas decorations.
A few years back I discovered Julenisser, a Nordic tradition, to replace our previous Elf on a Shelf. I couldn’t find that a Julenisser is actually given a name, but I’m winging it here. 😀 The nisse is one of the most familiar creatures of Scandinavian folklore. Again this year we’ll be bringing back Annabelle and her pet reindeer, Alvin. They are always a BIG hit.
In Solvang, a Danish community, they actually do a Nisse Adventure like a scavenger hunt and Danish style JuleFest celebration throughout the month of December.
In Denmark there is a serious subculture regarding the Christmas elves and gnomes known as Julenisser. They live in forests and eat fruits and berries throughout the year before they come spend the month of Christmas with your family. They have BIG hearts and ARE magical and they love to play tricks on you and your family!
Hallmark even did a Christmas movie a while back that involves a Gnome/Troll called MY NORWEIGIAN HOLIDAY.
I know many parents are dreading that darned elf every year and having to come up with at least 24 DIFFERENT scenarios that are different from the previous year!
So when do you begin? Do you have unique names for your elf? Or do you have a Julenisser? Also, do you have a favorite Christmas character? Angels, Snowmen, Nutcrackers, Bears, Gnomes, Reindeer, Peanuts (Charlie Brown, Snoopy…), Elves, Gingerbread Men, Penguins or the BIG man himself, Santa Clause.
I LOVE ALL the Christmas characters, but my favorites are Snowmen, Angels and Reindeer.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the past several years:
I’ve always been glad to have missed the Elf on the Shelf tradition when my kids were small. It wouldn’t stress me out now but back then, I think it would have been hard. I’m sorry that teacher told the kids, my first instinct is to judge and say shame on her but having had a few bad days in classes recently, I think she’s human and I bet she made a poor judgement mistake that she immediately regretted. Still, that’s awful and I’m sorry it happened. I love all the Christmas characters but have a special place for angels since my late mil decided many years ago I needed to collect something and that it was angels. Also, your talk of nisse makes me think of the Netflix movie There’s Something in the Barn (it’s a fun holiday horror movie, not for any little kids!)
Being a teacher definitely has it stresses (especially these days!) so I hope that’s how it went down and was just a one time occurrence for her. Angels and Snowmen are on the top of my list too. I wonder why your MIL thought you “needed” to collect something. I’ve never heard of the movie, but will have to check it out. 🙂