The idea of the elf on the shelf has its roots in a 2005 American picture book for kids, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell and illustrated by Coë Steinwart.
The story is about elves who visit children from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, and then return back to the North Pole until the next year. While they’re scouting out people’s homes, they help Santa keep track of who’s naughty and who’s nice. It’s a family tradition started by Aebersold and her twin daughters, Chanda and Christa.
Ever since the release of the picture book, the elf on the shelf has become a viral phenomenon and has entrenched itself into pop culture. Though many people focus on making the decorations as beautiful and fun as they can, others hone in on the more humorous aspects of the fad. They make parody decorations in a wide range of settings. Others do their best but end up failing in spectacular ways.
If you enjoyed the photos, be sure to join the Facebook group. And if you’d like to share your own winter elf deco, feel free to do so in the comments, dear Pandas! For some more elf on the shelf inspo, check out Bored Panda’s previous posts right here and over here.
#34 Make Sure You Take Some Time To Recover From The Holiday Rush!
#37 Chicken Wing, Chicken Wing, Hot Dog And Bologna, Chicken And Macaroni, Chillin’ With My Homies
#40 We Don’t Use The Traditional Elf On The Shelf But A Vintage Annalee. Her Name Is Marilyn
