The Elf on a Shelf Balloon That Left Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Watchers Terrified

While the Elf on the Shelf may be a holiday tradition that delights at home, the character’s float in the 2019  Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was anything but delightful for many viewers. As the elf float was dubbed “terrifying” by many social media users, others reacted strongly to its odd positioning and menacing appearance. 

“Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Except for the giant Elf on the Shelf balloon at the [Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade],” another wrote. “That thing is terrifying.” One user joked, “An Elf on the Shelf balloon. Because everyone wants his creepy face floating over their shoulder.” Other viewers had a similar reaction, sharing them on Twitter.

The Elf on the Shelf balloon might have been a little terrifying, but the origin of the hit holiday tradition goes back to stay-at-home mom Carol Aebersold and her adult twin daughters, Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts, who created a poem and doll in 2004 based on their own family traditions from the 1970s. “We had an elf growing up for as long as we can remember. Our elf was named Fisbee, and Fisbee of course would report to Santa Claus at night and be back in a different position in our house the next day,” Pitts told the Huffington Post. “We loved it. It was a chance for us to tell Santa directly what maybe we might want for Christmas, or to do good deeds so that Santa would know about them.”

It clearly resonated with people, having sold millions of elves since its conception. “We’ve had quite a few people contact us and say excitedly, ‘I can’t believe it. Finally! This thing that we’ve been doing in our home for quite some time is available to everyone,’” Pitts added to the outlet.