Elf on The Shelf: A Merry Meme-Mas! | Titan Universe | Nico Dinisi

You may have heard of “Elf on the Shelf,” now get ready for… a history lesson?

By now, anyone with access to the internet has likely heard of this iconic Christmas trope by way of meme-culture. Each year, as the holidays approach, you may notice a brand shiny new line-up of “Elf on the Shelf” memes. Perhaps you’ve scrolled through your feed and come across an image of Shrek standing on a deck, or Snape on a vape, or, my personal favorite, Nintendo’s beloved Princess Peach on a Beach. You may not get the obscure holiday reference at first, but if you dig down through the old social media rabbit hole long enough, you will come across an image of the titular Christmas imp himself, a tiny doll dressed in red, looking like he came straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

You may chuckle gently to yourself and share the meme to a friend’s Facebook page, but then you may stop and wonder, who is this enigmatic, little Santa-helper? Why does he smile so mischievously? What lies behind those wide, all-seeing eyes? Where did he come from?

Okay look, I know he’s most likely from the North Pole, but all I want to know is how the heck did he get in my house, what is he doing on my shelf, and why does keep staring at me like that?

First of all, don’t be fooled by his retro appearance. According to Wikipedia, The Elf on the Shelf Christmas tradition has been around for a mere sixteen years. That’s right, unlike most well-known Christmas traditions, like dressing the tree or hanging up lights, this little guy made his pop cultural debut in 2005. Co-written by award-winning motivational speaker and entrepreneur, Carol Aebersold, Elf on the Shelf: a Christmas Tradition, is a best-selling, illustrated children’s book complete with a plot, rhyme scheme, and an official, “Elf on the Shelf” doll that comes along with the book in a keep-safe box, a delightfully thoughtful go-to gift for friends and family with small children or an affinity for the sentimental.

According to the book, your personal scout elf gets their magic from the love of a child and whatever name you choose to bestow upon it. There’s even a space in the back of the book to write their name (just to make it official). It goes on to explain that this elf is what the author calls a “scout elf,” whose primary job is to act as one of Santa’s little spies, meant to watch and listen for any naughty or nice behavior he sees and report it back to the North Pole before Christmas Eve. The parents are to place the little stool pigeon somewhere in the house where he can keep an eye on and listen to whichever child (or adult) it is assigned. The only rule you must obey is that you must not touch the doll.

Yikes. And I thought the legend of Krampus was creepy. I wonder what happens if you touch the doll? Nope. Not going to think about it. All jokes aside, the origin of this tradition is actually quite sweet. According to Carol Aebersold, she invented this imaginary scout elf to amuse and beguile her twin daughters every Christmas. A heart-warming origin story for a… somewhat unnerving pop cultural trend.

Well, that’s the story of Elf on the Shelf! Now, if you don’t mind me, I need to go find myself one of those long grabby thingies so I can extract my personal scout elf from my own shelf and get him somewhere out of sight and out of earshot. I don’t know about you, but if there’s one thing I want for Christmas, it’s my privacy! Bah humbug and happy holidays, Titan fam! Be safe. Stay home if you can. Wear a mask when you go out. And avoid touching your face… and any scout elves you may come across.