Vacations & Staycations
So much fun is had during the month of August. It’s vacation time! Or in some cases, it is staycation time! Usually, it is the older generation of elves that appreciate the staycation. These elves have lived to be 150 years old or older. They stay back to mind the fort so-to-speak, and care for the elves that are much too young to go on a traveling vacation.
But oh, the vacations!! The elves love to venture out of the North Pole to see the world. To be able to see how the beautiful children all over the world live their lives is a real eye-opening experience. Constantina, our Vacation Coordinator, oversees dividing and conquering the world (as it relates to which elf goes to visit which city). This can be quite the challenge to balance, but it is oh so much fun! There can be as many as 25 to 2,500 elves that are sent to any given country. In the USA alone, there were 1,973 elves that visited cities across the country throughout the month! That is an average of 39 elves per state! You just never know if the person you are standing next to is a bona fide Santa Elf or not!
Once Constantina assigns the locations, the elves busy themselves in preparing to learn what they can about the area. They determine if there is a certain way to dress, or a certain way to speak, perhaps a certain type of food that they must experience. The elves do the best job they can to learn as much as they can about where they will go to visit. They want to blend in! After all, this is sort of a working vacation. They will be doing some recon to help come up with new toy ideas! When an elf arrives at their vacation destination, they spend time meeting children and playing, eating, and learning where the local children do. This way, we can create the very best toys for everyone on our Nice List!
The vacations can be as short as a one week or as long as three weeks. It all depends on what the elves are learning and if they have accomplished enough to bring back some ideas to the rest of the elves at the North Pole. All elves return by the end of the third week of the month. As each elf returns home, there is so much to share and laugh about! The things that are learned and shared are then compiled and discussed with Santa. Santa then uses this information to be certain that he is offering the right toys, music, and treats to the children in that city. It is a really good way to affirm that Santa always has his finger on the pulse and as a result, maximizes the efficiency of the Christmas Eve tradition.
Santa loves vacation month. Naturally, it is a little quieter at the North Pole with most of the elves gone so he rests a lot, catches up on his reading, and coaches the reindeer sleigh team.When the elves return, Santa is always so pleased with what the elves have learned about the wants and needs of the children around the world. It especially delights Santa that the elves get to experience life outside of the North Pole! It is an excellent opportunity for everyone. Especially when he hears that so many of the children are working really hard to show up on the Nice List.
I love vacation month too. To know that so many lovely children are having a chance to meet a true-to-form elf, without even knowing it! And the elves getting to really see how beautiful the children’s lives and cultures are.
Heck, I catch up on my reading and my rest too!
Be good and kind, we’ll see you next time!
