The Santa at Town Center at Aurora mall waves to shoppers, Dec. 12, 2020, between seeing children, from six feet away, while wearing a mask and face shield. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado 
The Santa Claus at Town Center at Aurora Mall sits behind a wall of gifts, which were strategically placed to prevent kids from rushing to the big man’s lap, Dec. 12, 2020. Children and families sit on a white bench six feet away to have their picture taken. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado 
Santa waves from six feet away, during a photo op with Katie and Derrick Bozkurt and their 11 month old son Charlie, Dec. 12, 2020 at the Town Center at Aurora mall. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado 
Jordan Na, 8, waves to the Southlands Santa Claus, who sits behind a specially made wall with plexiglass, Dec. 12, 2020. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado 
Santa and Jordan Na, 8, high five through plexiglass, Dec. 12, 2020, at the Santa Claus exhibit at Southlands Mall. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado 
Santa Claus waves from behind a plexiglass barrier, Dec. 12, 2020, at Southlands Mall. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado
AURORA | Not even the grinchy new coronavirus can keep Christmas from coming, at least not one iconic part of it.
The new normal has adjusted but not stopped the tradition of visiting Santa at two Aurora shopping malls before Christmas for a discussion of gifts and other serious matters.
The two Santa experiences keep safety at the forefront. One at Aurora Southlands and the other at Town Center at Aurora malls, both hosted families and their children with the opportunity to tell their favorite elf what they want for Christmas and have their picture taken.
At Southlands, Father Christmas was greeting children and families behind a wall of plexiglass. At Town Center at Aurora, he wore a mask and face shield, with a wall of gifts and six feet of space separating Kris and his visitors.
Santa will be at Town Center at Aurora through Christmas Eve, but he was able to skip away briefly to Southlands for this weekend.