SCRANTON, Pa. — At a market in Scranton, the shoppers are as cold as the fresh fish on ice.
But Ed Desmet from Newfoundland doesn't mind. He's one step closer to a hot meal he's been waiting all year to eat, and he's not waiting for the weekend.
"We're getting a head start," Desmet said. "My wife loves fish, so this is the second time we've been here since they opened, and we'll probably be back next week."
Schiff's opened up its outdoor fish market this weekend, and it'll stay open through New Year's.
Most of the people here now are preparing for Saturday and Sunday's feasts.
James Judge and Cathy Skotch from Carbondale have been keeping up their traditional seafood feast for decades.
"We have haddock, we have shrimp, we have oyster stew, we have kidney stew," Skotch said.
And while inflation is cutting into the budget, the pair say they're still going all out.
"Tradition is tradition. Keep it small, that's all. Cut it down a little bit, so long as we can be with family."
Manager Eric Martinelli says prices for lobster and other shellfish are actually the lowest in years, contributing to a busy first few days for the fish market.
"Even this morning, we had a little line this morning when we first opened the stand-up, even at 9, so it's kind of exciting, getting us ready for the holiday," Martinelli said.
The stand will open even earlier, starting Tuesday at 7 a.m. and every day until Christmas. So, no excuse to not cross this item off your last-minute shopping list.
"I started celebrating Christmas in July when I started Christmas shopping. I said to myself, 'Self, we're going to get shopping done early.' But here we are. We still have a little bit to do," James Judge said.
And no matter the weather, the staff at Schiff's will be ready for the rush.
"All hands on deck, and we keep rolling"
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