As you may or may not be aware of, all communications within, to and from the North Pole all occur via various branches of the Magical Wind Machine. We do of course have a particularly good operational branch here in the Administrations Department … when it isn’t blocked up with cinnamon. On a particularly clear day, we managed an interview with Elfie, one of our Elves in the North Pole who writes magical letters to your children!
So, I’m delighted to bring you…
Our EXCLUSIVE Interview with Elfie!
1. Have you always lived in the North Pole & what’s the weather like there today?
Oooh yes, for as long as I can remember! We all love it here with all the crisp sparkly snow and twinkling outdoor lights in the evenings. I’m just in Mistletoe Stores because Mother Christmas needs more jars for her Cloudberry Jam. This is the view out of the window at this very moment…it’s very cold today, so I’ll need to warm up on the Sizzle Spot when we get back to the Elves’ Workshop. I expect my hat will be so frozen solid it will be all sticky uppy when I take it off!
2. How many Elves are there working for Father Christmas?
Goodness me, I’m really no good at maths and counting. There really are so many of us I’m not sure that anyone knows! At least twenty six trillion I think? Lily will definitely know so I’ll ask her when I see her next. She’s extremely good at counting. And writing lists. We definitely have enough if everyone works and doesn’t mess about. Marty is particularly good at avoiding work.
3. Where do Elves sleep?
We all sleep together in Cranberry Cabin, in triple bunk beds. I sleep in a middle bunk. Jenny sleeps on the bottom one because she falls out of bed at least once a night. That naughty Marty sleeps on the top and uses a trampoline to get up there and a slide to get down. His bed is always full of sweet wrappers and I’m amazed his teeth haven’t fallen out already! He’s nailed a midnight feast cupboard by his pillow and seems to eat candies every second of the day and night.
4. What kind of food do Elves eat?
Well my absolutely favourites are mini mince pies, Father Christmas’ Peppermint Bark, Secret Crackle Cookies, Christmas Star biscuits and Cinnamon Loaf….oh and I also absolutely LOVE brussel sprouts too 😀 Dani loves these Berry Ice Drops more than anything but I find them rather too chilly…
5. How many different departments are there in the North Pole?
Well….the elves in Pine Needle Lodge do all the sewing. They make our pyjamas, Father Christmas’ Christmas Eve uniform, our uniform, pyjamas for all the children, soft toys, dolls clothes and goodness know what else. The Elves in the recycling cabin recycle everything and also make our wrapping paper, writing paper and envelopes, all the fabrics for Pine Needle Lodge and loads of other things.
Soap-Sud Cabin does all our washing AND they now have new reindeer poo powered dryers (which they’re trying to perfect). The elves in the Delivery Shed sort out all the deliveries and take them over to Mistletoe stores where it’s easier for us to find what we need. The Elves there SEEM to spend more time dancing, playing ‘tag’ or snoozing…erm…then there’s the Cinnamon Mine…the Elves down there are particularly good workers.
6. Wow! Is there really a Cinnamon Mine??
Oh yes, it’s underneath Christmas Cabin. They grind the cinnamon to a very sneezy-making powder, put it all into sacks tied up with our lovely Candy Cane Cord and then send it up through the mine on a huuuuuuuuge conveyor belt. Then they’re put in a lift at the end and sent up through the trap door into Mother Christmas’ pantry! Sometimes someone forgets and puts a big delivery of cloudberry jam or something on top of the trap door and blocks it shut! When that happens, a note will blow out of our branch of the Magical Wind Machine and ask us to unblock the door.
7. How do you carry things across all that snow in the North Pole?
We have a gigantic wooden Sledge Shed FULL of sledges. We either pull them ourselves, or if we have a very heavy load, we try to catch one of the reindeer to pull it for us. Marty’s brilliant at catching reindeer but I’m definitely the fastest at whizzing down the big hill behind the Wood Shed 🙂
8. How do you all get the presents into Father Christmas’ toy sack?
We make a long ‘Elf’ line from the Elves’ Workshop all the way to the sleigh, over in the Sleigh Shed. We pass all the presents along the line and up into the sleigh until Father Christmas’ Toy Sack is TOTALLY bursting. We all get really excited when we get to this bit because it means it’s nearly Christmas! It’s the most magical night of the year and I can’t tell you how much I love it.
9. Who looks after the reindeer?
They have a shelter, which we have to muck it out every day (can you imagine?!). We have a rota and I do NOT like it when it’s my turn. The reindeer shelter is FAR too smelly and dirty for me. Reindeer poo really is absolutely disgusting.
We also have to break the ice on their water so they can drink and we also give them fresh hay. Father Christmas brushes them all once a week but sometimes we brush them too if they look very dirty, or seem to be feeling very tickly.
10. How does mail get to and from the North Pole?
The Magical Wind Machine of course! Letters and notes get sucked in at different branches of it, then they pass through the sorter in the middle and finally whoosh out through a different branch for delivery. You have to be VERY careful you don’t stand too close to it or it sucks your hat off. That happened to Father Christmas’ hat last year. It took 24 Elves standing on top of each other’s shoulders to be able to rescue it.
11. Do you have telephones in the North Pole?
No, we don’t need them here.
12. Are all Elves mischievous?
Oooh no, I’m not AT ALL! The most mischievous Elf I know is Marty – he’ll do anything to get out of doing any work but he IS very good at inventions. He made a huge container of Super-Farts once, but Father Christmas said they were far too dangerous and unpleasant to give to children…
13. How do you keep your uniforms clean?
It’s totally impossible! We have to have a new one made for us each year by the elves in Pine Needle Lodge. Most of us have a pocket missing and they get so covered in glue and all sorts. One year I had a feather, a lime green coloured pencil, 4 wooden buttons, a paintbrush and a sleigh-bell permanently stuck to mine…it was so annoying because everyone would hear me coming and hide for a joke.
14. What snack would Father Christmas like us to leave him?
Oooh he actually likes EVERYTHING. He really does. He also likes trying new things but Mother Christmas says his tummy isn’t very good with extremely spicy things…
15. How does Father Christmas know what to put in our Christmas stockings?
Well, some families have scout elves who report back with what the children like playing with, he also gets letters from children (which he loves) AND he also has a massive book of Christmas Magic don’t forget 😉
16. I forgot to ask, what do reindeer really like to eat?
They’re SUPPOSED to eat hay, carrots, oats, honey and berries….but they also seem to eat dressing up clothes, Christmas trees, tinsel and wrapping paper….
17. What’s your best friend’s name?
Oooh I have lots of friends and I really don’t think I can choose a best one. My naughtiest friend is most definitely Marty though. He was on reindeer duty yesterday and when I went to find him, he hadn’t done anything at all and the wheelbarrow was still in the shed!
18. How big is the sleigh?
Oh I so wish you could see the sleigh: it’s the most beautiful thing in the whole world. It’s red and gold and lives in the Sleigh Shed. It’s actually quite big! The Sleigh Shed is my favourite place in the whole world and I’d love to work there all the time but we take it in turns. Here’s a picture of the ‘Special Super Weatherproof Landing Paint’ we use underneath the runners to make the landings as smooth and quiet as possible…
19. Can Father Christmas cook?
Oh yes he can! The thing is, he loves food so much that if he spends toooooo much time in the kitchen, he eats too much and then all the buttons pop off his jacket and we have to hunt for them….last time they got wedged behind the giant lollipops and it took us ages to fish them out again. This is a close up of the most delicious Peppermint Bark he makes. I’m afraid I may have got some chocolate on my camera…
20. Do elves have baths or showers?
We have a lovely big bath right in front of the fire in Cranberry Cabin. I really love putting loads of bubbles in it and watching the flames flickering. I do NOT like cleaning it though, because every time I bend over the side to scrub the bottom, I always fall in and get covered in soap suds!
21. Do you ever have time to play?
Ooh yes! We have so much fun…talent shows, sledging competitions, snowball fights…and this year Father Christmas says he’s planning something but won’t tell us what!
22. How big are Elves?
Ooohh I’m not sure. If I stand right next to Father Christmas, I THINK the very tip of my hat comes up to his belt?
23. Why do some children have wrapped presents in their stockings and some don’t?
Well…every year we toss a chocolate coin to decide if the stocking presents should be wrapped or not, BUT then the naughty Elves either wrap, or unwrap, some of the presents when we’re not looking!
24. Do elves go on holiday and if so, where?
We have holidays in the summer and next year I want to go and stay with the Tooth Fairies! They always have a big banquet and I’m DESPERATE to go. I’m going to post them a request note after this interview in fact.
25. How does the Postmaster General select who gets Christmas letters each year?
Well it’s not him exactly, it’s the ‘Magical Selector’ in the Mail Room. We don’t actually know how it works but he pulls some levers, presses a few buttons and then there’s a big ‘WHIRRR!’ and a ‘POP!’ and a big list of children’s names whizzes out!
26. What would you like for Christmas yourself?
I’d like everyone to be happy and kind to each other.
27. How do you get an invitation to Lapland??
Anyone who wants to come to Lapland should write to me. I’ll pass your request on to the Postmaster General to enter your details into the Magical Selector and then if you’ve been selected, you’ll get sent an official invitation. It’s VERY rare though, so please don’t be disappointed if you don’t get one.
28. Do you have a favourite reindeer?
I actually like ‘Pocket’ the best as he’s so kind and friendly. He’s also a right greedy guts and eats anything next to his nose, so you have to make sure you don’t stand too close! I also really like Percy the mouse – he’s very sweet and his fur is sooo soft. We made him a cosy bed behind the log basket next to the fire in the Elves’ Workshop, which he sleeps when he’s not in Father Christmas’ beard.
29. Do Elves drink hot chocolate?
It’s funny you should ask that because we’ve just had a survey of our favourite hot drinks. 38% said they preferred hot chocolate (with mini marshmallows), 39% said they preferred hot honey tea and 23% said they preferred hot berry tea. Have I remembered that right? Do they all add up to one thousand percents? Or is it meant to add up to one hundred?
30. Do Elves get new Pyjamas on Christmas Eve?
Oooh yes definitely! We put in our requests to Pine Needle Lodge when they measure us for our new uniforms and then we have a big delivery on Christmas Eve. I always ask for red ones of course. Last year they got in such a muddle, it took us ages to match all our tops and bottoms! Father Christmas ended up in a nightie at one point…Marty laughed so much that he Paarped! VERY loudly and made us all laugh (he’s always doing that).
31. How many presents do you have to make?
Oooh dear that’s one of those horrid maths questions again. A gazillion trillion? Or 36? Does that sound like too many, or not enough? Oh dear, I’m really not sure!
32. What do you look like?
Erm…quite smart I think? My uniform is red because that’s my favourite colour. I really DON’T like having my photo taken and so far I’ve managed to avoid it.
33. What do elves do on Christmas Day?
We have a HUGE Christmas party! It takes us ages to plan (well, Lily organises it actually)and it’s so much fun. We have a big banquet and play games but my absolute favourite bit about it is all of us being together with Mother and Father Christmas. It’s our second best day ever after Christmas Eve and we’re always laughing so much when we finally climb into our beds at the end of the day.
Thank you Elfie!
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If you know any children who would enjoy hearing what the Elves get up to through December as they prepare for The Big Delivery on Christmas Eve, please let the Postmaster General know as soon as possible!
By the way, Becky from Cuddle Fairy was VERY fortunate to be able to interview Father Christmas and you can read her interview HERE!
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Emily x
Brilliant. so cool finding out more about life with Elfie and the Santa crew! #brillblogposts
That’s what I thought Sunita – I’m going to try and set up an interview with one of the others!
This is fab! So many tricky questions answered – thank you, Elfie! I love the idea of using a trampoline to get into bed! #BrilliantBlogPosts
If only grown ups were allowed trampolines to get into bed too 🙂
What a fab interview and I adore those berry ice drops! We love Christmas over at the button house. #brilliantblogposts
The kids absolutely love those too! Christmas is (quite clearly) my favourite time of year. It’s the warm, cosy and togetherness I love the most.
Aw love this-can’t wait to read with Oliver-love that the reindeers eat clothes and they don’t need phones x
Do send over any other questions he has and I’ll put them forward for him at the next interview ;).
I will be reading this tomorrow night in full to my daughter! We are loving the spirit of Christmas and starting to look forward to it!
Angela x
We are SO excited here too! Yes do – we’re BURSTING wit even more questions and look forward to having another interview with Elfie in the future!
What fun some great answers here and a great resource for all parents facing difficult questions! Elfie did forget to mention that sometimes when a Reindeer is poorly they have to sprinkle some magic dust over the Coombe Mill Deer field and borrow one of ours!
Ooh I didn’t know about that Fiona – how WONDERFUL!! Have you had to loan many out over the years?