Santas Elves invade the UK each Christmas in increasing numbers. But where does the Christmas elf tradition come from? Do you know who Santas elves are? What is the tale behind their origin? What secrets do they guard?

Creatures rooted in north European and British folklore.They were often described as tiny, dwarf-like creatures, either male or female. They are said to be immortal and possess magical powers.In pagan times, Elves were believed to guard homes against evil. If you were good, the elves would be good to you, but if you were bad, they would play tricks on you. They were known to give people nightmares by sitting on their head while they were asleep.To keep the elves well fed, happy and out of mischief, people left a bowl of porridge on the doorstep at night.

Already associated with story telling and magic, elves began to be associated with Christmas in the mid 1800s, when they became Santa's helpers. Christmas celebrations were gathering popularity and Scandinavian writers penned the elves role as we know it today: good hearted fairy like helpers of Santa Claus that are sometimes mischievous.

Modern elves depicted as Santas little helpers. Christmas elves are typically described as diminutive green and red-clad creatures with pointy ears and pointy hats. They help Santa bring Christmas to life. They design and make toys and gifts for children, look after the reindeer and keep the sleigh in good condition. They keep Santas naughty and nice list in order, and guard the secret location of Santas village. Folklore tells that elves make sudden appearances in families in the run up to Christmas. They keep an eye on children, check who's naughty and who's nice and report their findings back to Santa. If you dont want to wake up on Christmas morning to find your stockings filled with lumps of coal or bundles of twigs you'd better be good for goodness sake!

Where do the elves and Santa live? Even today, no-one knows for sure were Santa and the elves live. In fact there are many conflicting reports about the location of the secret village. Certain sources say that Father Christmas village is in the North Pole, while others argue there are no reindeer in the North Pole but plenty in Lapland so the secret village must be hidden there.

With all these creatures keeping an eye on children in the run up to Christmas it seems that generations of parents have struggled with unruly behaviour at this time of the year. I think I like the modern incarnation of Christmas elves best though playful rather than scary. And no threat of corporal punishment or nightmares! The modern tradition now is to have a toy Elf sat watching over your children just before Christmas but when they are asleep they get up to all sorts of mischief and blame the children ! Angel Wholesale has a great selection of Elves and Elf accessories to continue this magical story telling. One of our most popular Christmas wholesale product lines!