Everyone asks the same question every year “did I make the Naughty or Nice List?”
Well first thing you should know, is that it's a book that Santa and his Elves use to keep a note of who is Naughty or Nice. Which section of the book you are in all depends on how you have behaved ALL year since last Christmas. Santa has Elves all over the world as well as his “Santa Helpers” who all meet children and check what they would like for Christmas as well as checking on how the children are behaving. So, you really should know already if you have made the Nice List or not, because you know whether or not you have been behaving.
Not many people stay on the Naughty List long enough for Santa to decide they will get only one present this year. That one present is tradition a single lump of coal. In today's modern world, very few people still have coal fires so they can't use the lump of coal on it to provide some heat. A single piece of coal certainly could never make a fire in the past when coal fires were popular, so a single piece of coal became associated with the Naughty List as it was a gift with no monetary or practical value.
Alabaster Snowball is the Head Elf of the Naughty and Nice List, all the other members of his team report back to him daily, telling him how the boys and girls in their areas of the world have been behaving. It is Alabaster's job to then make any changes to the list that is required.
If you have 1 naughty day or event you aren't normally put on the Naughty List unless something very serious has happened. Santa believes that bullying, fighting and stealing are 3 of the naughtiest things a child can do, so if he has reports of such things happening, he tends to keep a personal eye on the children who have been doing these things. If a child on the Naughty List changes their behaviour, they may be put back onto the Nice List normally after they have behaved for a while. Although a child who does something extremely nice, heroic or extraordinary might instantly be moved onto the Nice List.
It is always best to remember Santa or an Elf or one of Santa's Helpers might be watching what you and your friends are doing at any time of the year, so it's always better to be good so that you stay on the Nice List.