So, how exactly do parents liaise with Santa and his elves to ensure every child gets their gifts from the famous Christmas toy workshop, hidden in a secret location? Even today, nobody knows exactly where Santa and his elves live.
© Slusing / Shutterstock.com
Some say the secret Christmas village is at the North Pole, while others believe it's in Lapland, as there are plenty of reindeer there to pull Santa and his sledge of presents on its magical journey around the world on Christmas Eve.
First elves
The first reports of Christmas elves appeared in the 19th century. These good-hearted, fairy-like beings were long associated with magic and folklore, but in the mid–1800s, people learned of their role as Santa's helpers too.
As Christmas celebrations gathered pace, Scandinavian writers revealed the elves' role as we know it today, helping Father Christmas to make and deliver all the toys. Today, Santa's Little Helpers are the link between Father Christmas and parents to make sure kids receive all their gifts on time!
For anyone wondering how the children know which presents come from Father Christmas, there are many ways parents let their kids know the magical visitor has been on Christmas Eve. Some presents from Santa are wrapped in a special way, in a different gift-wrap from family presents, so the kids will know they have come by reindeer delivery.
For most families, parents and other close relatives tend to buy the bigger gifts, while the presents from Santa are the smaller ones from the child's letter to Father Christmas. According to surveys of parents, the average number of presents from Santa per child is four.
Santa wrap
Santa's Little Helpers recognise how important "Santa wrap" is in letting the recipients know these are special gifts from the big man himself. In some households, each child's gifts from Santa are wrapped in different coloured wrapping paper, so it's easy to spot everyone's stack.
Using special wrapping paper every year means children know presents in that paper come from Father Christmas. They may be in gift wrap printed with pictures of Father Christmas, so the kids recognise it instantly on Christmas morning. Some presents from Santa come wrapped in plain gold paper, following a theme every year.
Parents help Santa by squirrelling away the presents in the house in safe hiding places, where little prying eyes aren't going to find them.
Christmas stockings
Some families choose traditional Christmas stockings for the kids' presents from Santa. There are several places where Santa's Little Helpers hang stockings. Among the most popular is at the end of the child's bed, although some parents say this is a bit risky, in case their offspring awake early and spot the elves! Traditionally, no one should see Father Christmas, his elves or the reindeer arriving on Christmas Eve, as he likes to deliver the gifts secretly, so they're always a surprise.
Another option is hanging the stockings from the mantelpiece, but never leave them above a lit fire overnight, in case they fall off and cause a blaze. You could leave them somewhere similar, such as hanging from a shelf near the Christmas tree.
How are the elves so organised?
Wherever they are planning to put Santa's presents, the elves are very organised, as they manage to get so many presents ready in such a short space of time! If there are multiple children in the family, once they have wrapped the gifts, the elves put name labels on, so they won't forget what everything is.
They can also use a different coloured box for each child. These should be put in a safe place, where they are secure and hidden, to make sure the presents don't get lost or forgotten. Some helpers choose boxes that lock, so even if the kids find them, they can't open them to take a sneaky peek.
Once Christmas is over, you can use the storage boxes again and again. If there is any special Santa wrapping paper left, you may choose to store it for next year, to save the Little Helpers some time.
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh,
O'er the fields we go,
Laughing all the way.
Bells on bob-tails ring,
Making spirits bright.
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight, oh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh, hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh what fun it is to ride,
In a one-horse open sleigh.