Santa Claus came to local malls Saturday to remind Schuylkill County residents that Christmas is not far away.
He made his rounds at the Cressona Mall, Fairlane Village mall, Pottsville, and the Schuylkill Mall, Frackville.
However, retailers didn't wait for Santa. Some already made an early effort to bring shoppers in the doors.
Wal-Mart, Target, Toys-R-Us and Kohl's will have hours on Thanksgiving. Both Wal-Mart and Toys-R-Us will have deals at 8 p.m. Nov. 22. Target's sales start at 9 p.m. and Kohl's deals start midnight Nov. 23.
Schuylkill Mall manager Elaine Maneval said perhaps stores with hours on Thanksgiving are just trying to cater to the need of customers.
"It's a quiet time after (the meal is finished) that they might think people would prefer to stay up and shop," she said.
One of the big attractions for the shoppers at the malls Saturday was the arrival of Santa.
"Santa, Santa, Santa," Jewelisa Perez, 3, said as she waited in line to meet Santa inside the Fairlane Village mall.
She was one of many children who wanted to talk to Santa and let him know what they wanted for Christmas. Photo opportunities were available with the jolly man.
When asked why she was so excited, Perez said, "because I wanted him. I wanted to see him."
Adults and children packed the mall as they waited to see Santa and participated in free activities like mixing different colors of sand into a small holiday container.
Her aunt, Joselyn Skeen, 35, of Minersville, said meeting Santa could not come soon enough for the little girl.
"She couldn't sleep last night because she was so excited," Skeen said.
She had mixed feelings on the Thanksgiving hours.
"They're taking away the traditional family values of what we should really be thankful for," she said.
However, she plans to shop because she wants to save money. She did not procrastinate this year. She started holiday shopping in September.
Glenn Davis was in line with his daughter, Gabrielle, 6, waiting to see Santa. He's not going for the sales and the earlier time doesn't matter to him.
"It's still going to be a mad rush," he said.
At the Cressona Mall, Jen Frie, 31, of Pottsville, waited with her daughter, Emmerson, 3, for Santa. He arrived on a fire truck from Cressona shortly before 11 a.m. She said she thought it was too early to be thinking about Santa and the early shopping hours.
"I think he (Santa) should wait definitely closer to Thanksgiving because you're definitely skipping over the whole Thanksgiving holiday," she said.
She admitted that she started shopping. Last year, she started closer to Thanksgiving.
Bryanna Wright, 6, was one of the lucky children to shake Santa's hand before he walked into the double-doors of the mall.
Her mother, Lisa Schoffler, 47, didn't like the idea of shopping on Thanksgiving.
"That's a family time," she said.
Perhaps the stores are seeking more revenue and that explains the hours, she said.
Santa took his seat on a green chair waiting for the children, who could get a picture with the holiday celebrity.
Santa said he arrived on the fire truck because the reindeer need rest.
"They got a long day coming up pretty soon," he said.
Randy Carl, 39, of Pottsville, said people should pay more attention to what really matters - family.
He's not going shopping on Thanksgiving.
"It's almost like the true meaning of the holidays is lost in translation," he said about what he believes is the commercialization of the holidays.