Santa working from ho-ho-home during coronavirus pandemic

DENVER (AP) — On a frigid December night, Michael Cawthra prepared to embody the spirit of Christmas as he slipped into his plush, red coat with the white, furry trim and the matching red cap.

The 66-year-old retired elementary school teacher became a professional Santa Claus in 2008, when friends and relatives noted his graying hair and full beard gave off an unmistakable yuletide vibe. So Cawthra, who never once visited Santa as a kid, sought instruction that helped meld his natural appearance with his pleasant, soothing voice into a harbinger of good cheer.

And he’s good at it. Though he considers his appearances a hobby, they usually bring in enough money to send him and his wife, Margaret, on a nice summer vacation.

But on this evening, because the coronavirus changed everything, he didn’t need to bother with the bottom half of his suit, opting instead for the comfort of red track-suit pants and white athletic socks. He made sure his green screen was in place behind him and the lighting in the spare bedroom of his Lakewood house cast the proper glow.

He attached a page of notes to the front of his computer to remind him of details submitted by the parents of the child he’d soon meet, little things like a pet’s name, recent accomplishments in school — “a little inside information,” Cawthra calls it — that an all-knowing Santa could drop into their chat to reinforce a sense of wonderment.

With his makeup carefully applied, his beard groomed and everything in place, he clicked the blue button on his screen to welcome another child into a 10-minute, personalized Zoom conversation.

This is Santa in 2020, when for many of the ho-ho-pros, a monitor has replaced the mall when it comes to making that list and checking it twice.

“We did have to totally...