With the holiday season upon us, I am so delighted to present a slightly different kind of interview this month – not only for the mysterious and magical interviewees, but also the touchingly enthusiastic and imaginative interviewers… In short, my own Little Elves (aka my children) asked our Fairfield Elves to share a bit about themselves, and I hope, dear reader, that you’ll find their exchange as heartwarming and full of Christmas cheer as I did! 

FE: Thank you for your questions, and hello to your little elves! We hope they are looking forward to Christmas.

LE: What are your full names?

FE: Sparkles, Ludwig, Snowball, Nutmeg and Crackers.

LE: How many elves are there?

FE: In the North Pole, there are thousands of elves.

LE: Why do you like to visit Fairfield? 

FE: Each elf has a different job, just like humans. Some are toy makers, some look after the reindeer. There are wrapping elves, naughty/nice list elves, a team that looks after Santa, etc. We are reconnaissance elves. Our job is to check the route that Santa will take on ‘the big night’ to make sure that everything runs smoothly. We check for big trees that might get in the way, the type of roofs, any loose roof tiles, the size of the chimneys, loud dogs, and all sorts of other things. We have been assigned Fairfield Park and we like the lights so much that we wanted to tell everyone what a good job they are doing, and help to spread some Christmas cheer along the way!

LE: What do elves look like? Are they really small or normal people size? 

FE: We are smaller than humans. We can reach your letter boxes, but we need to stand on tippy toes.

LE: How old is Santa?

FE: That is a bit personal! I think we would get in trouble if we asked him that.

LE: Were you born at the North Pole? 

FE: Yes. We have a little elf hospital with elf doctors and nurses. And lots of magic.

LE: Can elves really fly, or do you use a jetpack?

FE: We wish we could! Some very lucky elves can fly. Santa rewards the very, very best elves with the magic needed to fly. Maybe one day, if we work really hard.

LE: Which reindeer is your favourite?

FE: Oh we love them all. But just between ourselves, our favourite is Dasher. But please don’t tell the others that we said that!

LE: Is Santa really big and jolly, or does he put pillows under his coat? 

FE: Santa is big and jolly and perfectly wonderful.

LE: Why do elves love wearing red and green clothes? 

FE: That is an excellent question! Mrs Claus makes our clothes and red and green are her favourite colours.

LE: What is Santa’s preferred snack for children to leave out for him, and what do his reindeer like best? (There was heated debate in our house as to the answer to this one!) 

FE: Santa likes to have a variety, which he certainly gets, because the favoured snacks and treats vary all over the world. He has a very sweet tooth, so he loves the traditional mince pies, and also gingerbread, shortbread (especially with chocolate chips in), and flapjacks. His favourite biscuits are Jammy Dodgers! He is not so keen on the rice pudding which is popular in Denmark (Sorry Denmark!). The reindeer have a much more healthy diet. They really do love carrots the best. We think it is because they are so crunchy and help them to see in the dark.

LE: Are you allowed to ride on the reindeer’s backs? 

FE: No! There is a very special team of delivery elves that help Santa on Christmas Eve. But they ride in the back of the sleigh.

LE: How long is Santa’s beard, and is it super soft or prickly and bushy? 

FE: It is very soft and silky, the softest you could ever imagine. It is not very long. If it gets down to the second button on his coat, then Mrs. Claus sends him off to the barber for a tidy up.

LE: What happens if you get put on the naughty list – will Santa REALLY put a lump of coal in your stocking? 

FE: There is a team of elves in charge of the naughty/nice list, they are smaller than most elves, and really good at hiding. Throughout the year they sneak around and look to see what everyone is up to, even the mums and dads, teachers, politicians, everyone! They report back to Santa and give their recommendations, and then Santa decides. Do people really get coal? Well, there are some things that even we don’t get to know. 

LE: What do elves like to eat? 

FE: We like watching the Christmas films made by humans, as we like to see your guesses about what goes on in the North Pole. Some of them are very silly. But there is one thing that the film Elf got bang on: Elves LOVE syrup!

We hope that you have enjoyed our answers. Merry Christmas to all in Fairfield Park! Love from the Fairfield Elves x

Amber Fortier moved to Fairfield Park in 2017 with her husband and three young children. She is originally from New York.