Some last-minute Christmas shoppers crowd

SYRACUSE, NY – Holiday shopping is an annual tradition for many. Some make it early, others wait.

“(It’s) crazy,” shopper Marie Jones said. “I usually do it way in advance, and this year I did some last-minute shopping so I could handle the crowds.”

It’s been hectic for Jones the last few days going from store to store, but she’s having no trouble finding the right gifts.

“Honestly, my family is pretty simple,” she said. “They like Star Wars and The Office, so it’s easy to find fun gifts for them.”

While some struggle, others do so every year.

“Since I was 2, now 46, my dad and I went shopping on Christmas Eve,” said shopper Amanda Martino. “It was a ritual.” It is my one special day that I can only spend with my father. I don’t have to share it with my mother, I don’t have to share it with my brother (and) I don’t have to share it with my husband. It’s just our day.”

Some people know what they are buying.

“Today I’m going to Burlington to look for some hosiery,” Jones said.

Some don’t.

“We never know,” Martino’s father said.

But they are all in the Christmas spirit.

“You can feel the hustle and bustle of people,” Jones said. “I enjoyed it a little more. So today I brought my grandson to see Santa Claus because I thought: Christmas Eve, what better time?”

“It’s very special,” Martino said. “As I got older, it was no longer about presents like Santa Claus and hiding the elf, but about being with family and celebrating the reason we are all here.”