By Charlotte Owen

Copyright dailystar

A Christmas fanatic loves the festive period so much that she spends two months living as an elf called Jingle. Julie Van Dooren, 25, heads to Lapland every winter where she transforms into one of Santa’s helpers. A typical day includes telling stories to children, riding huskies and helping Father Christmas in his workshop. The season starts at the end of November and runs into January. “I have always loved Christmas,” Julie, from ‘s-Hertogenbosch (corr) in the Netherlands , said. “Being an elf is so magical. It’s my dream job. What I love the most is playing with the kids and being a part of their Christmas.” “I really love to make their stay as special as possible and I have a lot of fun with them too.” The first two weeks are spent training before the real work begins. Julie said: “Every day is different. Sometimes we have airport days where we do a speech on the bus for arrivals and departures. Then we have dinners with the families and that’s one of my favourite nights. We go on the snowmobile, do husky rides and go to Santa’s village where they can meet him.” Julie takes time off from her freelance blogging job to work full-time as an elf, earning around £10.50 an hour. She said: “Don’t expect to make bank but go there for the experience you will never forget. I’ve lived in Lapland for free and who can say that? It’s the best experience of my life.” Elves must stay in character while in uniform to keep the magic alive. Julie, from Holland, said: “We sometimes run into families while wearing our regular clothes. “Unfortunately that happens but we always try to hide when we recognise someone, because we didn’t want to take the magic away.” At the end of the day, Julie returns to her accommodation, sharing a room with two other elves. She said: “We stay in a complex with all the elves we worked with which I love because you bond really quickly. A lot of people are there alone so you only have each other. “After my experience they really feel like family. It’s not comparable to the relationships with friends you have at home.” She also enjoys the festive food. She added: “The food is one of my favourite parts, especially when we had dinners with the guests. “We usually had a buffet with them but I also loved cooking for myself as well and trying Finnish food. The atmosphere is so Christmassy. We’re all to excited to be there.” For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here .