On a bookshelf right over my desk is something that I've owned for most of my life.

It's a little book titled Polly's Christmas Present.

And at my brother's house in Massachusetts is another book that I spent my childhood Christmases with,

a hallmark pop-up edition of a visit from St. Nicholas.

The fact that I remember these books, and have kept one of them for decades,

goes to show that the stories we grow up with, especially Christmas stories, leave a lasting impression.

They're part of the story of our lives, and how we experience, and enjoy, and remember the season.

They become treasured keepsakes, and later we pass them on to the next generation.

That's when they become not only stories, but also traditions.

But what happens when it's the other way around?

When a tradition goes on to become a story?

Well, today we find out.

Oftentimes here on Christmas past, I narrate Christmas stories,

but the majority of the time there are much older stories and stories for an older audience. So I'm excited to break tradition today and do exactly the opposite.

Today I'll be reading you Festival of the Elves, a more recent story by Holly Figgiworth.

It's a story for the whole family about how elves celebrate the season and how two elves decided to share that celebration with humans.

After the story, I'll be talking with someone named Angelie Elliott, who knows Holly Figuirth

very well. Parents may or may not want to listen to that part of the show with younger

listeners, but Angelie will share how the story came into being and how you can bring a little

elf and magic to your family's Christmas.

But first things first. If you're ready for story time, let's imagine a festively chilly scene at the North Pole, somewhere north of Jolly Point and west of Sugar Plum Ridge, and meet

two elves who are about to embark on a magical adventure. It's Festival of the Elves by Holly Figuirth.

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