We’ve been before and now it was time to go again. This past Saturday, the holidays received their annual R-rated makeover at SantaCon, a grownups-only event. From Tokyo to Los Angeles, Average Joes appeared as various incarnations of Saint Nick (spotted: an S & M Santa) and participated in what amounted to a glorified bar crawl, bringing cheer and an insatiable thirst for booze to their cities’ streets.
Originating in San Francisco, Santacon began as much more than a thinly-veiled excuse to get drunk at 2 p.m. The creator of the secret society, Suicide Club, envisioned the event to be an elaborate prank named Santarchy that would spread their anti-consumerism beliefs to an unsuspecting public. Unfortunately, the group’s founder passed away before his anarchist Santa dreams could be realized.
Thankfully, in 1994, San Francisco’s Cacophony Society resuscitated the idea (adding a few alterations) and voila, Santacon was born! Since its conception, SantaCon has become worldwide, with 60 cities participating this year. Although the political leanings of the event have long since dissipated, Saint Nick himself requires that each participating Santa bring two cans of food to donate to charity. Last year, SantaCon donated 1,000 pounds of food in NYC alone proving that, beneath the heavy alcohol consumption and free-flowing obscenities, it is a charity-based event at heart.
SantaCon LA, Photo credit: ChinaShop
SantaCon San Francisco, Photo credit: extramatic
SantaCon Chicago, Photo credit: find a city to live in
Flavorpill went to do some drunken investigative reporting at NYC’s SantaCon to see what the fuss was all about. Warning: Watching our video may cause second-hand intoxication.
Santacon from Erin Sheehy on Vimeo.
Main image courtesy of Sugarzine.