Every year, a tide of crimson, white and happiness descends upon cities like San Francisco, London, Paris and Beijing, cranking up the holiday spirit and showering everyone with Christmas joy.
This might just be the happiest festival of them all. Thousands of people dressed in crimson and white come together for a couple of days of fun. These Santas hang out at bars, go to department stores, malls, and city squares, bringing smiles to children’s faces. This ranges from grinning at them to ho-ho-ho-ing, and even handing out presents and candy canes. Santas chill in groups, and just have a lot of fun in general.
What began in Copenhagen as a group of Danish merry-makers that dressed up in Santa costumes and went to a department stores has now grown into a massive Christmas party, one that hits 311 locations in 42 countries every year. Most of the SantaCon events are held in the weekend closest to December 12-13, but some happen even in late November. This exciting event takes place in cities like London, Paris and Hamburg, before continuing on to Beijing, Tokyo, Sydney. In 2007, the Irish SantaCon made the Guinness Book of World Records with more than 13,000 Santas!
There are a few things people are asked to keep in mind if they ever find themselves at a SantaCon. The first is to dress up like Santa. If you’re not one for the traditional red lined with white fur suit, you can get creative with a personal interpretation of Santa. The second is to make kids happy. Nothing will light up a kid’s day more than to see a whole bunch of Santas smiling and handing out goodies. The third thing that Santas at SantaCons are encouraged to practice is moderation. No one likes a hammered Santa, so save that for after-parties in bars, tucked away from the kids, where people sing songs like “Away on a Bender” and “Cannabis Is Coming to Town”.
