Christopher Pop-in-Kins and the Christmas Shelf Elf Tradition
Before Elf on the Shelf...
He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good.... but just HOW does Santa Claus know these things?
I found out a few years ago after buying the Elf on the Shelf gift set for my two kids. According to the book that comes with the stuffed elf, Santa employs a highly trained team of elves to watch little children all over the world and report back to him on their behavior. These elves come to your house every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the disguise of a stuffed toy elf. But at night, they come alive, report back to Santa at the North Pole, and then return to your home, usually in a different location every morning, so the kids have to go searching to find them.
This clever concept of a Christmas elf who watches your kids and lets Santa know whether they've been naughty or nice is a wonderful idea, especially because it serves as a visual reminder for kids to behave during the holiday season!. But I discovered later that Elf on the Shelf was not the first elf to help Santa with his annual task of seeing who's been naughty and who's been nice.
Elf on the Shelf
Christopher Pop-in-Kins Was Handmade
Christopher Pop-in-Kins may have been the first Christmas shelf elf. He earned his name by his habit of "popping in" and "popping out" of the house, and he was created by Flora Johnson when her children were young.
She brought the hand-sewn elf out for her children every year after Thanksgiving and then tucked him away again on Christmas. The kids were allowed to play hide and seek with the elf, who would hide at night while they were sleeping, but they weren't allowed to touch him because it would take away his Christmas magic.
Years passed, and her children grew up and passed the tradition on to their children. That's when Flora realized that other children might also enjoy the annual elf visits, so she wrote a book called "Christopher Pop-in-Kins Pops In." Originally self-published in 1984, "Christopher Pop-in Kins Pops In" was sold through specialty stores and and Flora handmade each elf doll that came with the book. More than 10,000 Christopher Pop-in-Kins toys and books were sold between 1984 and 2000.
Flora's son eventually took over the family business and expanded it by redesigning Christopher Pop-in-Kins, re-illustrating the book and introducing another member of the Pop-in-Kins family, Christopher's sister Christina.
The Pop-in-Kins Christmas shelf elves may not be as well known as Elf on the Shelf, but they've surely helped Santa Claus by spreading the Christmas shelf elf tradition to many children.
More Christmas Pages
- Christmas Party Games for Groups
Getting together with your friends, family, or colleagues over the holidays can be a great way to have fun and relax. Some folks enjoy just hanging out, talking and eating, while others like to have planned... - Cheap Christmas Gift Strategies
For many people, the Christmas holidays can be a financial hurdle. Wed all love to buy fabulous gifts for everyone on our gift list, but this simply isnt possible for many of us. Instead, we have to try to save money wherever possible. But... - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Gifts
As the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special celebrated its 45th anniversary, there was a resurgence in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer gifts. Now you can buy collectible villages and trains, ornaments, stockings, nutcrackers and other collectible - How to Choose Christmas Letter Paper
Get tips for choosing the right Christmas letter paper, including whether a Christmas template may be the right choice for you and links to sites offering holiday stationery. - Snowman Poop Poem
Here's a quick and easy gag gift to make for your friends, family, coworkers, or anyone who has been on your Naughty list this year (or even those who've been Nice!). It's easy and fun. And kids love it! ... - Snowman Soup Recipe and Poem
Looking for an easy and inexpensive Christmas gift idea? Try Snowman Soup! You can find the Snowman Soup recipe and poem in various forms on the web, but, oddly enough, none of them mentioned how the ingredients related to