Santa and the elves see that as a good thing, though--it gives Savage more time with each child.

"We're quality, not quantity," says elf Steve Heffernan, who runs a team building company by day. Heffernan says the mall job helps him "get my dose of kids."

Jennifer Goodfellow, another elf, counts the money generated by the afternoon's photo session--Santa charges $6 per picture. All profits go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Goodfellow, a restaurant administrator and freelance make-up artist, says that she could be spending her weekends differently but feels good about working for charity.

Savage says he took the Prudential Santa job seven years ago when the previous Santa's fear of large crowds prevented him from lighting the enormous Christmas tree across from Walgreens in downtown Boston.

To avoid disappointing the crowd that turns out each year to witness the lighting--spectators usually stretch from Mass Ave. to Copley Square--Savage stepped in.

Well, to be precise, his wife volunteered him for the job without telling him.

Nonetheless, Savage accepted it, and has held it every year since.