Santa Claus, Santa’s elves and reindeers – there is the age-old belief that if we behave well throughout the year, they will reward us with presents. Some non-believers may think that this is not how Christmas presents appear under the tree. However, no one can deny that there are real superheroes who make festive time so special every year. They might not wear funny hats and striped tights, but they no doubt work really hard to make sure everyone gets their dream gifts just on time.
Real Life Santa’s Elves
Order picking, packing, shipping… Christmas time is particularly busy in warehouses and distribution centres. To keep up with all the orders and make sure that everyone receives their gifts on time, additional workforce is often required. These warehouse workers are the real Santa’s elves! You can see hundreds of job adverts for temporary workers in months coming to Christmas. Some of the biggest players on the market employ as many as hundreds to thousands of seasonal workers per distribution centre to help them cope with Christmas rush. And it’s not an easy and stress-free job, as you could have imagined. Minimum, or just above that, pay and long hours, sometimes even 12-hour shifts are what you should expect if you apply for such a position. So it’s not just Santa and his cheerful elves. It takes thousands of people to make sure your online order is with you before Christmas Day.
It’s so much easier to get your Christmas shopping done in a few clicks, rather than spending hours in the stores. Just remember that as you make your life easier, someone else would have to work really, really hard instead. Of course, there is nothing wrong with ordering online, quite the opposite! Shopping before Christmas can be a real nightmare, with crowds virtually everywhere, long queues and packed shops. Just make sure you remember and appreciate the work of helpful ‘Santa’s elves’. After all, without them your shopping would have been way more difficult this festive season!
Reindeers and Sledges
When your order is picked by Santa’s elves, it now has to be shipped and delivered. You might no longer believe that Santa jumps on his sledge and reindeers carry him through the starry night. But this isn’t far from reality. Another group of real-life Santa’s elves are truck drivers. And their trucks? They are just like sledges with reindeers you know from Christmas stories. And when companies don’t honour holiday pay, truck drivers go on strikes. This can have a huge impact on getting your presents in time for the 25th of December. Couriers and postmen have it particularly hard every festive season. Heavy parcels, icy roads and cold temperatures are definite hallmarks of their jobs around this time.
Getting it on Time
To avoid delays and disappointment, don’t leave your shopping to the last minute. We know it’s easier said than done. Especially since the Christmas period can be stressful and busy for many businesses and professions. Don’t forget that behind every gift that will make your beloved smile, there is a whole load of people, who work extremely hard to get it to you. It takes long working hours, not so great pay, carefully manoeuvring truck drivers and postmen to make your Christmas Day so special.
Featured image: © ELEVATE
