The Elf on the Shelf's Last Night Before It Says Goodbye Might Be the Easiest One of All

The Elf on the Shelf is a time-honored tradition for plenty of families, even if some opt to forgo it altogether. There is no right or wrong way when it comes to that. However, whether you are new to the "Scout Elf," as it's called in the official book that comes with it, or you are a bit more seasoned with your family's Elf on the Shelf figure, you might be wondering when the last night for the Elf on the Shelf is.

That's right. After weeks of making sure your elf was in the best pose every morning, or ensuring that the Elf on the Shelf appeared to be in a bit of a pickle more often than not with a little naughty elf prank, it's all over. For this holiday season, anyway. While different families have different traditions when it comes to the elf, most do say goodbye on the same day.

According to The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition book, Christmas Eve is when families typically say goodbye to their elf. It's the time when, per the lore behind the elf, it's time for the Elf on the Shelf to return to the North Pole and help Santa on the most important day of the year. As easy as it might be for parents to say so long to the elf, kids might still take it hard when they wake up on Christmas morning, and Rainbow Candy Cane Sparkle Pants isn't in her usual spot.

If your child takes it especially hard, or you fear they might, there are ways to prolong your elf's stay. Sure, you might not want to, but if you foresee it being an issue on Christmas Eve, you can always have a letter from Santa "appear" that grants the elf a little more time in your child's life. Or, if you want the Elf on the Shelf to head out early, you can start the tradition with the elf only being around your home for a couple of weeks before they have to go back to the North Pole.

The important thing is consistency, though. Don't even think about starting the two-week tradition if your kids have always expected an entire month full of shenanigans from Princess Jingle Bells Peanut Butter. Or, you know, whatever name was chosen long ago by your toddler and will forever be the name of your family's elf.

As with the daily elf setup, the goodbye tradition for your family's Elf on the Shelf can be what you make it. In one mom's post on X (formerly Twitter), she used flour to make an outline of her family's elves, as if they flew off in a hurry once the kids went to sleep on Christmas Eve. A dad on X shared photos from his family's special goodbye to their elf, which included a little suitcase and a hug.

You could also go simpler than that. Since one crucial part of the Elf on the Shelf lore is that kids cannot touch the elf, for fear of the elf losing its North Pole magic, Christmas Eve can be the one time they are allowed to hug it. Or, they could even hold it all day long. And then, when they are sleeping, the elf magically leaves.