Eliot Man Dons ‘Elf’ Costume For First Meeting With Dad

Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England radio personality and may contain the individual's views, opinions or personal experiences.

Although Doug Henning didn’t grow up at the North Pole, he did get to live the plot of one of the most iconic holiday movies when he met his biological father in late November, according to masslive.com.

Doug had been adopted and discovered his biological father after connecting with relatives on ancestry.com. The father and son had met up via Zoom and were able to meet in person when Doug’s dad flew into Boston. Doug Henning, 43 of Eliot, thought of a way to break the ice for the first-time meeting of father and son.

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Doug decided to dress like Buddy from the movie “Elf” and even sang the iconic song from the film to his dad.

As he told Boston.com, “When he came out of the airport, he probably thought I was a lunatic," Doug said. "It was a really good way to break the ice.” 

Doug’s biological father had never seen the film, so he didn’t get the joke. But he gave Doug a big bear hug anyway.  Just like in the movie, Doug’s biological father did not know he had a son prior to the two connecting.

According to masslive.com, Henning said he was raised by “amazing” adoptive parents and it was just a bonus to meet up with his biological father. He must have gotten some strange looks at Logan International Airport in Boston when he starting singing wearing a full elf costume (including the hat).

I love seeing stories like this that have a happy ending. It’s not really an ending but just the beginning of Doug and his father getting to know each other. It was also a joy to share that Doug also has a child, so his father is also a grandfather for the first time.