Mrs. Claus Talks About Elves

Mrs. Claus took me to Santa’s workshop today and after a brief tour we had the conversation as noted below. First of all, I was surprised at everything Mrs. Claus knows about Santa’s Workshop. She is a different person in there! Did you know there are times when Mrs. Claus steps in and runs the place? I had no idea! Anyway. We had this very interesting conversation before Santa and Mrs. Claus left the North Pole to go visit family for Thanksgiving in Canada:

Elf Trixie: You seem to know every elf in Santa’s workshop. How is that possible?

Mrs. Claus: Sometimes I spend a lot of time here. There is a head elf and he’s very good. But there are times when Santa will tell me that the workshop needs some direction. There have been many, many times where I have had to come here.

Elf Trixie: Do you actually make toys?

Mrs. Claus: I have helped with some toys. But I am not really a toymaker, no. I can’t build a skate board or a video game. But I can help put things together if I have to. But Santa does not send me here to deal with toys, dear. He sends me here to deal with elves. Elves need a lot of direction.

Elf Trixie: Wow. Are there other parts of the North Pole where you do that? Like at the post office? Or in any other departments?

Mrs. Claus: No, not really. One year on Christmas Eve, Santa had me go to the Tracking Department to tell the elves there to calm down once. Pretty much, whenever sees that the elves need a little direction he will sometimes send me to restore order.

Elf Trixie: We actually have a lot of questions here from people about elves. Several children asked this question, most recently Maurice in the city of Irving. He wants to know how many elves work in Santa’s workshop?

Mrs. Claus: Oh my goodness. To be honest I do not really know the answer to that. You see this place and how big it is. There are thousands of elves here. Santa and I stopped counting elves many, many years ago. Just tell Maurice that there are more than anyone can actually count.

Elf Trixie: Well, there are other questions about the workshop in here. For example, Matthew in North Platte wants to know where Santa gets all the supplies to make stuff in Santa’s workshop?

Mrs. Claus: Oh my, that is a very interesting question. I wonder how old Matthew is. Very good question. The answer is that the workshop receives supplies from all over the world. Every day giant sleighs bring new stuff to warehouses here at the North Pole. They come from everywhere.

Elf Trixie: Do you think people have a good picture in their minds about how big the job is that Santa and his elves do?

Mrs. Claus: Oh no, dear. I know they don’t. Especially children. And how are they supposed to really know?

Elf Trixie: Yeah, I guess you’re right. This is my first time in Santa’s workshop and it is nothing like I imagined it would be. It is so much bigger.

Mrs. Claus: It changes a lot over time. This workshop is pretty new. If you remember, Santa had this one built just a year or two ago. Do you remember reading that on Santa Update? That is always a big deal.

Elf Trixie: How often does Santa expand his workshop?

Mrs. Claus: Oh golly. Not very often. The last workshop he had for decades. I think this one will last a long time too.

Elf Trixie: I’m a little surprised we didn’t see Santa here today.

Mrs. Claus: [laughing] Santa really does not spend much time in Santa’s workshop. Everyone calls it Santa’s workshop but Santa doesn’t really go there much except to instruct elves or to maybe get involved in a special project. Santa actually has his own little workshop out behind the house and when he is making toys or inventing toys or making something special he works there.

Elf Trixie: Does he have elves there, too?

Mrs. Claus: No, dear. I don’t even go in there. It is his own special place.

Elf Trixie: In the world of elves, getting a job in Santa’s workshop is quite an honor. Does Santa personally select the elves that work there?

Mrs. Claus: He does. Of course, he takes recommendations from other elves he trusts. And an elf needs to prove that he or she has the experience, the expertise and the patience to work in the workshop. It is a special place. Not every elf is right for the workshop.

Elf Trixie: I was surprised to see so many girl elves in Santa’s workshop.

Mrs. Claus: Why, dear?

Elf Trixie: I don’t know why. I know I shouldn’t be surprised. But I kinda am surprised to see so many girls there. And so many older lady elves, too. I just didn’t expect to see that.

Mrs. Claus: You need to fix your thinking, Trixie. I have not seen the latest numbers but the last I heard we have more girls and women working as elves at the North Pole than we do boy elves and men. They hold any kind of position imaginable. I believe someday you will see a girl elf in charge of Santa’s workshop. There are many fine ladies in there who can do that job if Elf Bernard ever retires.

Elf Trixie: Elves do not ever retire much do they?

Mrs. Claus: Oh they do. Elf Billy just retired in the Weather Department. That made the news! But you are right, those more prominent positions very rarely open up. But Santa has had many girl elves on the job for many, many years. He always has.

Elf Trixie: It’s funny you say that because I noticed this week that we are getting more questions from girls than we are from boys for you, Mrs. Claus. Does that seem weird to you?

Mrs. Claus: No, dear. It’s fine. I love to hear from the girls. I would bet I could even guess some of the questions coming from some of the girls, too.

Elf Trixie: Really?

Mrs. Claus: Yes. I have been getting questions for years. As Santa travels I sometimes go with him and visit with children too. I have talked to many girls. They usually ask some questions that boys never ask. They will ask about my hair. Or my outfit. Or my shoes! Oh, my goodness. I’ve never had a boy ask a Mrs. Claus question about my shoes. But many, many girls have.

Elf Trixie: Okay. So if I ask the question coming from Madisyn in the UK about your children, that would not surprise you?

Mrs. Claus: Oh heavens, no. I get that all the time. People want to know about our children and our grandchildren. They want to know how Santa and I met. They want to know my first name. They want to know what I did before I married Santa. These are all very normal questions.

Elf Trixie: Do you tell them those things? Those are kinda personal questions.

Mrs. Claus: Um…yes, I answer them. I don’t like a lot of questions about me because Christmas is not about me or even Santa. We try to answer as many questions as we can but really our job is to promote the peace and goodwill of Christmas. It’s about love. In many ways, of course, our children, and our family, and even our relationship is about love too. So sometimes I answer those questions. But never in front of a microphone. And you, honey, are as about as close to the media as I will ever come.

Elf Trixie: Mrs. Claus, are you shy?

Mrs. Claus: Maybe a little. But it isn’t about being shy. I think modesty is a very important quality.

Elf Trixie

 

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