Hudson Valley Malls Applauded for Controversial Santa Policy

Bucking the trends, two malls in Poughkeepsie and Middletown have decided to lay down the law for Santa.

Long ago, the Christmas season began on the day after Thanksgiving. When I was a kid, there was a rule in our house that said we had to wait to play any holiday music until Santa appeared in the Macy's Parade.

Today, the holidays come so early that your future Thanksgiving turkey is probably jamming out to that Mariah Carey song right now, unaware that he'll be dinner in a few weeks.

Santa Already Arrived at Connecticut Mall

This weekend, visitors to the Danbury Fair Mall were shocked to find Santa already holding court. St. Nick arrived at the Connecticut mall on November 8 and was seen posing for photos with kids and listening to their wishlists all weekend.

While it's one thing to have garland and ornaments decorating center court, it's another to have the big guy himself ho-ho-hoing at shoppers weeks before Thanksgiving. I'm sorry, but it's just too early for that.

Hudson Valley Malls Applauded for Santa Policy

Here in the Hudson Valley, there's no sign of Santa anywhere at the Poughkeepsie Galleria or the Galleria at Crystal Run and I couldn't be happier. According to an announcement on their websites, both of the malls have decided to hold off on debuting Kris Kringle until the day before Thanksgiving.

I applaud the Poughkeepsie Galleria and Galleria at Crystal Run for their decision to wait out the holidays. It couldn't have been an easy decision to make, especially with Thanksgiving coming later than usual this year. But their restraint has certainly not gone unnoticed.

If you want to bring your child to visit Santa at either mall, you can schedule your appointment on their websites now for timeslots starting on November 27.