Elf on the Shelf vs Trolls…Final Christmas Countdown, Part 4!

Zip lining Elf at my grandkids’

The Yule Lad trolls, an old-fashioned bit of Icelandic whimsy, are probably a bit too scary for most kiddos. Luckily there’s a relatively new tradition that seems to be giving Santa Claus a run for his money: the Elf on the Shelf!

Of course our grandkids are all over this entertaining holiday johnny-come-lately. 

But at a holiday party this week, chatting with some moms, I learned just how much the Elf on the Shelf, or let’s call it, the EOTS, is a crucial Christmas ritual! 

You’d think parents have enough stress about Santa. But the EOTS ritual represents a whole new level of pressure—which lasts for weeks!

Now, we all know that starting right after Thanksgiving, the grownups in the household are responsible for either hiding the Elf every night, or involving the Elf in various activities. 

Kids can then begin each day with a fun search for the Elf, or coming upon it in an entertaining location. But during all these weeks prior to Christmas, grownups have to put the Elf in a NEW spot each night! 

Playing poker with his “homeys”

I also learned Mom/Dad can’t repeat the hiding spot or activity. So forgetting to move the elf is fatal. 

I heard about two parents who forgot to shift their EOTS until the last minute. Dad had to quickly distract the kids and get them into another room so Mom could move the Elf.

One mom shared about an extremely indignant 4 year old who found his Elf in the same place as the day before. 

The little guy was so cross about it he moved the Elf himself. Which leads to another fatal error: If you touch the Elf Santa won’t come!

The creative pressure, I hear, is immense. Days on end of having to come up with new and different and most of all, fun spots for the Elf! Also, even after kids get older, they apparently still require Mom/Dad to carry on the ritual. 

If you’ve been checking out my series on the Yule Lads, the Lads’ tradition seems pretty straightforward. And dare I say, simpler. Today, there’s only 3 more Lads on the way, with 3 more nights of troll mayhem and pranks.

Although being trolls, all the Lads have big noses, December 22 brings the Lad with the biggest: “Doorway Sniffer.” Since he loves to smell baked goods, he uses that big schnozz to stand in doorways, sniffing out any cakes and Icelandic lacebread he can abscond with. 

On December 23, another hungry troll, “Meat Hook,” arrives with a pole—and a hook at the end. He hovers near the kitchen, and when the cook isn’t looking, he’ll hook any meat from the pan.

The last night of the Lads is December 24. “Candle-Beggar” is perhaps the biggest killjoy of them all. On the most important night of the season, Christmas Eve, the night of light and celebration, he will steal any candle he finds. 

It seems to be by Christmas, the Lads have pretty well cleaned out all the food in Icelandic households! I guess the Elf is looking pretty good in comparison, despite being high-maintenance.

Speaking of Elves and Trolls, our resident Lord of the Rings fanboy, my husband John, and I just had a spirited discussion about both Elves and Trolls—as well as Dwarves, and Hobbits. Santa is reputed to be an Elf…or is he a Fairy? 

If you come down on the Fairy side, you might like Morgan Carey and The Mystery of the Christmas Fairies…It’s on sale this week, details in my post from last week, Christmas Countdown Part 2!

Still on sale though Christmas!