Elf Ghost Town

I have never seen the North Pole so empty. Empty streets. Empty shops. Empty schools. Empty houses. Even the Claus residence has been locked up tight.

What’s going on? Mass vacations.

You see, the past two years at the North Pole have been very strange. I guess it has been that way around the world, too, with the pandemic and all.

The first year of the pandemic Santa cancelled travel and vacation for everyone out of the name of safety. Elves were glad to help by not spreading the virus and it was thought that staying home helped keep the North Pole virus-free.

Last year was pretty much the same way. There were a few elves who ventured out because they had to but Santa himself even stayed home another year.

This year that all changed.

Only Santa put some stipulations on it and told the elves in February that if they wanted to travel and get some time away they needed to do it before June 24th this year. It sure looks like everyone did.

Well, except me. I went on vacation last month.

So I did some snooping around this week to see what I could learn. And to be honest – not much. With most everyone gone, I’ve got very little gossip to share.

I went to Santa’s workshop and found Elf Lorraine there. She works in baby toys and she told me this week is a big week for water toys. You know those toys little babies play with? Things like teethers and shake-up toys with water in them? She was there with just two other elves, running a line filling those toys with water.

But that was all the activity I saw there. Lorraine told me the full workshop lineup won’t fire up again until the 27th.

In fact, that’s something of a magic date – being a Monday and all.

Elf Herbie Harvey, who is a super elf, was the only one I could find in the whole Post Office Department this week. And he wasn’t even working on the mail.

A super elf is an elf who can work at any department at the North Pole. Elf Herbie Harvey is an older elf who has worked everywhere it seems during his long career. And between now and the 24th he has the whole Post Office to himself.

Elf Hugo, who runs the Post Office, had all the northern regional offices in Demark, Greenland, Canada and North Pole, Alaska hold all mail until the 24th. So it’s not like Elf Herbie Harvey has a lot to do.

In fact, I found him in the basement warehouse, a huge space normally filled with lots of equipment and mail. But I found it totally empty and Herbie was in there setting up chairs. It’s a massive place and one that could hold seating for thousands. While I got there Elf Herbie already had about 2800 chairs set up. He told me he was tasked with getting 15,000 set up by the 24th.

That’s going to be a very big meeting.

I asked Elf Herbie Harvey what the chairs and the meeting was for and he said he didn’t know and didn’t care. He just didn’t want to be the one to have to take all the chairs down after he gets them set up.

The 24th, 25th and 26th appear to be big days for us.

I have heard no announcements. I have seen no calendars, except for the chat events we already know about that weekend.

But Leon Day – which is not an event I entirely understand yet – seems to have more meaning this year.

When I figure it out, I’ll let you know.

It’s quiet now. Too quiet. But something’s up.

About this Elf: Elf Trixie

Elf Trixie is now Chief of Staff to Mrs. Claus, a position she took on originally in 2023. She previously worked in the Public Relations Department at the North Pole as an intern. She was one of the youngest elves on staff in the News Department. She keeps the weekly countdown going at SantaUpdate.com and frequently assists Mrs. Claus in her publishing efforts. Trixie is a Journalism major at Southern North Pole University and has recently accepted additional writing duties as a staff reporter at the Santa Tracker Herald Star. Trixie is single, she has a pet gerbil named Pebbles, and recently adopted her own baby reindeer named Trixie.