From Marietta to millions, 'Elf on the Shelf' turns 20

ATLANTA Since 2005, more than 30 million Elf scouts and pets have been 'adopted' by families. The basic lore: Elves assigned to each child provide daily reports to Santa at the North Pole on the kids' activities before Christmas, then return back to the house each morning

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Christa Pitts and Chanda Bell, sisters and co-CEOs of The Lumistella Company which produces Elf on the Shelf, pose for a portrait on a product set at Lumistella headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

(Tribune News Service)

Traditions around the holidays are meant to be passed down for generations: songs, ornaments, recipes. So creating a new tradition that resonates with families worldwide is nothing short of a Christmas miracle.

But that is exactly what metro Atlantans Carol Aebersold and her twin daughters Chanda Bell and Christa Pitts have pulled off with Elf on the Shelf, which is celebrating 20 years since the release of a modest self-published children's book with an elf attached to it. Since 2005, more than 30 million Elf scouts and pets have been “adopted” by families. The basic lore: Elves assigned to each child provide daily reports to Santa at the North Pole on the kids’ activities before Christmas, then return back to the house each morning, typically in a different location.