#5722S- Holiday Elves - Set of 4

These four mischievous elves are welcome additions to your holiday season mail. Like many holiday traditions, elves did not become a familiar part of our holidays until the 19th century. Elves are believed to have their origins in centuries-old Norse mythology where they were known as "the hidden folk." 

The Christmas elf has appeared in literature since the early 1800s in the poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" where Santa himself is referred to as "a jolly old elf." In the 1850s Louisa May Alcott wrote a Christmas story that mentioned elves as Santa’s helpers who worked to create all the wonderful gifts that Santa delivered to good children. The image of the elves in the workshop was popularized by Godey's Lady's Book, an influential woman's magazine in the mid-1800s.  In 1850 the magazine highlighted the first widely circulated picture of a modern Christmas tree on the front cover. Today, the popular legend of Santa Claus usually includes diminutive elves at Christmas: green-clad with pointy ears and pointy hats as Santa's helpers who make the toys in Santa's workshop. Scott 5722-25 Holiday Elves