A mischievous elf is the Christmas elf who, in December, plays small, harmless pranks at home or in the nursery and leaves behind traces or a little letter, for the children to discover. A good prank is quick to set up and just as quick to clear away again, and you only need to do what you feel like doing.
Contents
- The short answer: here's how to be a good mischievous elf
- What is a mischievous elf: from farmyard elf to Christmas prank
- Easy ideas that take little time
- Ideas with rice pudding and the kitchen
- The kind elf
- Mischievous elf pranks without stress
- Good rules for the mischievous elf
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
December is full of traditions, and in many homes and nurseries the elf moves in with little surprises for the children. For some families with children, elf doors, Christmas pranks and gifts from the elf have become a fixed part of December, while others are just working out whether it's something for them. Here we've gathered concrete ideas for pranks that are easy to set up and just as easy to clear away afterwards.
We also look at where the elf actually comes from, how you find the balance between mischief and kindness, and why it's perfectly fine to skip a day if December is already busy enough.
The short answer: here's how to be a good mischievous elf
A mischievous elf is the Christmas elf in its most playful form. It moves into the home or nursery in December and plays little tricks that the children discover when they wake up or come into the living room. It could be a trail on the floor, swapped-around toys, or a letter where the elf tells what it has hidden this time.
The most important thing is that the prank is quick for the adults to set up and just as quick to clear away afterwards, so it fits into a everyday life that's already full in December. A good mischievous elf never plays tricks for real. It never breaks anything and only leaves behind traces that a tea towel or a broom can quickly clear away again.
What is a mischievous elf: from farmyard elf to Christmas prank
The elf is a house spirit from Danish, Scanian and Norwegian folklore, and the name comes from the old Danish name Nis or Niels. The farmyard elf traditionally lived in houses, stables and barns, where he helped with the work and the livestock and brought luck to the farm. He didn't ask for much, just a bowl of porridge with a big knob of butter at the holidays.
If the elf wasn't treated properly, he could take revenge, but normally he settled for smaller pranks if he was unhappy. Among other things, he loved to tease the farm dog, making it bark at seemingly nothing, because elves can make themselves invisible. An old legend tells of a girl who hid the knob of butter at the bottom of the porridge bowl to tease the house elf, which made him furious.
The Christmas elves as we know them today were invented in 1836, when the painter Constantin Hansen held a Christmas party in Rome and decorated with the first pictures of Christmas elves. Today the elf is mostly a fun character that teases children for fun. Every December the elf moves into many of the country's nurseries, where it swaps things around, steals shoes, ties trouser legs together and hides little surprises for the children. Some adults also know secret elf from the workplace or school, where you draw a name and are either a mischievous or kind elf for that person during December.
Easy ideas that take little time
The best pranks are the ones you can set up in a few minutes, and which are just as easy to clear away afterwards. Here are some of the most popular ideas when the elf moves into the home or nursery.
| Idea | What you'll need | Clean-up |
|---|---|---|
| Swap things around in the living room | Some of the things that are already out on display | Easy |
| Tie trouser legs together | A pair of trousers from the laundry | Easy |
| Hide one shoe | A shoe and a hiding spot the children know | Easy |
| Turn pictures upside down | Pictures or frames that are already hanging | Easy |
| Icing sugar footprints | Icing sugar and a little shoe or a fork | A little more |
Tip: According to Niels Peder Pedersen, who researches the history of elves, it's important that the traces seem convincing, and that the rice pudding doesn't just sit there untouched. Little details like these make the story of the elf feel more alive for the children.
Ideas with rice pudding and the kitchen
A classic way to let the elf show itself is a bowl of rice pudding, set out in the evening. If it's eaten by the next morning, the children experience it as proof that the elf exists. It helps to have a little ceramic bowl kept aside just for this purpose, so it's always ready when the elf drops by. The shop's ceramic bowls can easily be used for exactly this task for the rest of December.
Another simple trick is to add a little food colouring to the milk, so it turns a surprising colour when the children pour it the next morning. You can also let the elf write a short note saying it has hidden one of the children's things, and that it will only give it back in exchange for a new bowl of rice pudding. Stick to harmless foods like porridge, milk and food colouring, so no one feels poorly from the mischief.
Find ceramic bowls for the elf's rice pudding and Christmas decorations for the rest of your home.
See ceramic bowlsThe kind elf
The elf isn't just mischievous. Today, the modern elf is above all a generous creature that gives gifts, even though it's still cheeky from time to time. In some families, it's the elf that puts the little gifts in the children's Christmas stockings, so there's a small surprise to wake up to.
Another example is a little treasure hunt, where the elf has hidden a gift somewhere in the home, and the children have to find their way there using clues or a map. That mix of mischief and sweetness is a big part of why children love the elf so much. It surprises them in turn with pranks and small gifts, and you never quite know what awaits the next morning.
Mischievous elf pranks without stress
Psychologist Charlotte Diamant tells TV 2 that you should do what you do because you want to, and do it calmly and with presence. If the mischievous elf starts stealing from your night's sleep, your presence or the family's good mood, she says you should stop.
Health visitor Helen Lyng Hansen tells TV 2 that you shouldn't do anything that puts unnecessary pressure on the family at Christmas. There are no figures on how many parents have elf traditions with their children at home, so there's no reason to compare yourself with others. It's perfectly fine to skip a day or let the elf take a day off if everyday life is already busy enough.
Good rules for the mischievous elf
- The mischief should be harmless, so no one gets upset or scared.
- It should be easy to tidy up afterwards, ideally in just a few minutes.
- Nothing should break or get damaged.
- Take the youngest ones into account, so no mischief feels frightening.
- Feel free to let the elf tidy up after itself, so there's no icing sugar or anything else lying around all day.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mischievous elf?
A mischievous elf is the Christmas elf that, in December, plays small, harmless pranks in the home or nursery, for example by swapping things around or hiding a shoe.
When does the mischievous elf arrive?
The elf typically moves into the home or nursery during December and plays pranks along the way, without needing a fixed date.
What might a mischievous elf get up to?
It might swap things around, steal a shoe, tie trouser legs together, make footprints out of icing sugar, or write a little note about something it has hidden.
Does the mischievous elf have to play pranks every day in December?
No, it's perfectly fine to skip days or let the elf take a day off if that suits the family's everyday life better.
Why does the house gnome get rice pudding?
The tradition stems from the folklore farm gnome, who demanded a bowl of porridge with a knob of butter for the festive season, and today many children still put out porridge for the gnome in the evening.
What's the difference between a mischievous gnome and a kind gnome?
The mischievous gnome plays tricks and leaves clues, while the kind gnome surprises with little gifts, for example in the Christmas stocking or on a small treasure hunt.
Summary
A mischievous gnome is the playful side of the Christmas gnome in December, where small, harmless pranks replace the old tales of the farm gnome and his porridge. With simple ideas like swapped items, a bowl of rice pudding or a little letter, the gnome can move in without taking time or energy away from the family, as long as you remember that togetherness matters more than the number of pranks.
Read also
- Christmas decorations for the home: create the perfect festive mood
- Advent calendars for adults: find the right type
- Gift calendar for adults: 24 gift ideas and a plan
- Cosiness in the home: the Danish tradition of homely warmth
- Christmas hearts: make the template yourself and weave the heart step by step
- Gnome door: how to make one, and where it should sit
- Paper Christmas stars: weave your own Fröbel star
Get the home ready for gnome season
The shop has Christmas decorations in glass and bowls in ceramic, and all items are hand-picked by Dinna, so you can easily find something for the gnome's rice pudding and the rest of the Christmas room.
See the Christmas collection