Elf on a Shelf: The Strange History of Santa's Little Helpers
When you purchase through link on our situation , we may earn an affiliate military commission . Here ’s how it works . The children of North America have a new Christmas tradition : The elf on the ledge . Alternatively panned as creepy and adored as a fun vacation ritual , the trademarked Elf on the Shelf dates back to 2005 , when writer Carol Aebersold ego - published a tale of a little elf institutionalise by Santa to cover on children ’s behavior lead up to Christmas ....