U.S. #5722
2022 60¢ Holiday Elves – Elf and Teddy Bear
Contemporary Christmas Series
Issue Date: September 15, 2022
First Day City: North Pole, AK
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Booklet of 20
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 600,000,000
The North Pole is home to an unknown number of elves. But there are a few elves that have become famous for their role in making Christmas the magical celebration it is today.
One of those elves is Shinny Upatree – the oldest elf at the North Pole. Shinny (originally named Oopsy Shenanigan) lived alone in an igloo at the North Pole. He built his igloo around a small fir tree that eventually outgrew his home. With no other place to store his belongings, he began hanging them on the tree.
When Santa arrived, he was amused watching the elf shinny up the tree and gave him his new name. Santa also told Shinny about his ideas to make Christmas a magical time for children. Shinny loved the idea and sent out a call for elves around the world to help make that dream a reality. Today, Shinny is Santa's oldest friend and leader of the Christmas elves.
One of the elves who answered Shinny's call was Pepper Minstix. Pepper is head of Elf Control, tasked with protecting Santa and keeping the village secret from the outside world. Pepper devised a clever system to prevent detection. When an outsider approaches, hundreds of pounds of cotton candy, sugar, popcorn, marshmallows, and ice blanket the village. It may make a sticky mess, but it keeps the village from being seen and preserves the magic of Christmas.