Elves already a tradition associated with story telling and magic, was by the mid-1800’s revealed by the Scandinavian’s that their true purpose was to help Father Christmas.  The elves could be helpful however their mischievousness was still event in story telling.  Tales suggested that how you were treated by the elves depended on whether the person was thought to be naughty or nice!  Particularly in America the diminutive, green with pointy ears type are depicted as Santa’s helpers making toys in his workshop at the North Pole. 

According to some legends and post-Christian folklore especially in Europe, elves are mischievous pranksters who make special appearances during the lead up to Christmas. For example “Albtraum” is a German word for nightmare which also means “elf dream”.  Earlier the word meant “elf pressure” as it was believed that nightmares are a result of an elf sitting on the dreamer’s head!  Elves also were believed to braid people’s hair while sleeping, make milk sour and run off with sausages.  People of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway believed that a bowl of porridge left out would prevent elves from playing tricks on people especially during the festive season!  Today, elves associated with Christmas are symbols to remind children to be good and not naughty!

 

Modern Yuletide Defenders – Elves in Black!

In the modern world we now have the latest Yuletide defenders called the Elves in Black (E.I.B.).  They say they are commissioned to protect the spirit of Christmas.  Their dress code is black and they declare to be are armed with elfin intellect, tools, charm and good looks.  They defend the spirit of Christmas against naysayers including grinches, heat mizers, scrooges and of late pure commercialism.  They are sworn by the EIB code and must remain unseen whilst defending the spirit of Christmas!  Children all over the world can now join and be a member of the world’s most elite team dedicated to keeping the spirit alive.  Once joined kids are issued with official EIB Agent Certification and receive fun training!  To join the club visit:  http://www.christmas.com/pe/6   This is a really fun way for children to get into the spirit of Christmas and enjoy the virtues of the elves!