Christmas is a time of traditions, but how did this particular one get its start?
The elf is, essentially, watching over the children to eventually report back toSantain the North Pole.
Where did Elf on the Shelf come from?
In the story, elves get adopted by families and integrated into their Christmas traditions every year.
When the family gives the elf a name, the elf receives its Christmas magic.
Every morning, the elf returns, but moves to a new spot in the house.
Initially, the writers said that it was hard to get agents to get on board with the book.
“They really didn’t know what to do with it,” Bell told the magazine.
“They really didn’t get it.”
After a handful of rejections, Bell and Aebersold decided to self-publish the book and toy instead.
By 2008, Elf on the Shelf was a household hit.
How did Elf on the Shelf so popular?
By the end of their first year, 18 storefronts carried the toy (viaFortune).
“We ended up turning around every single order in two days.
If we had failed, we probably wouldn’t be here at this point.”
