what day does a elf on the shelf come

The Elf on the Shelf is a toy that is designed to watch a child's behavior and report back to Santa Claus every night during the month of December. It's a tradition that began in 2005 and is based on the book of the same name. The Elf on the Shelf typically arrives on December 1st and stays until Christmas Eve. The elf's job is to keep an eye on the child and make sure they're being good, and then report back to Santa at night.