Here Comes SantaCon

In the month of December if you happen to see the curious sight of a large group of people parading down the street all dressed in Santa suits, you may have just encountered a Santacon. Although it is difficult to be certain, it is generally believed that the original event took place in San Francisco in 1994 and was called Santarchy. As the name suggests this gathering may have its roots in anarchist and counterculture groups of society, but over the years the tradition has become more mainstream and has spread to numerous cities around the world.

These events locally may be called by various names depending on the preference of the local organizers including Santa Pub Crawl, Cheap Suit Santas, Naughty Santas, Santapalooza or Santa Rampage. Often participants follow a pub crawl route in Santa costumes, carrying signs, playing music, singing naughty Christmas songs and dancing in the streets in between stops at bars and pubs to imbibe more Christmas spirits. Participants may pass out candy and gifts to spectators, create a flash mob, or form a conga line like this photo from a Santacon in London in 2011. Although the events are usually "R" rated, they usually do include the spirit of the season with acts of kindness or good will toward others. Often organizers encourage the merrymakers to bring a donation for a local food bank or other charity.

If joining in a Santapalooza, Santarchy or Santa Pub Crawl sounds like fun to you, check the link further down this page to see if there is one in a city near you this holiday season. In the meantime get ready to participate by getting your costume and enjoying the photos on this page from previous Santacons from around the world.

An Affordable Option

When I was looking for a costume, I realized how popular these events have become when I discovered this inexpensive, polyester costume that was created specifically for pub crawls. An easy way to participate while staying within a budget. The costume includes the hat, belt, jacket, pants and beard. The only thing NOT included is the Boots.

I must admit that participating in a Santa Con is probably a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list item for me. So although it is not as environmentally friendly, I was delighted to find this inexpensive disposable Santa Suit. For under $10. I can buy a suit for a pub crawl and not feel like I spent a lot of money if I never have an occasion to use it again. Surprisingly it is made of felt (not paper) and includes the basic hat, belt, jacket and pants. The beard, wig, boots, glasses and any other accessories are NOT included.

For someone who plans on making a holiday pub crawl and annual event or has other occasions to dress like St. Nick, an investment in a higher quality more durable Santa costume would make sense. This is just one example of many that are available, but still at a reasonable price. This set includes the wig, beard, hat, belt, boot tops, and gloves. Accessory items like a padded Santa Belly, and glasses are NOT included.

Women have several Santacon apparel options. There is always the option of wearing a traditional men's Santa Suit or wearing a women's Mrs. Claus costume.

If you can't find a Santa costume or if you want to stay in the holiday spirit, but stand out from the crowd, there are other costume options. You can make a fashion statement by dressing as an elf or maybe The Grinch.

Be sure to check with the organizers of your local event, but often Santacons are pet-friendly. If your dog is well-behaved and doesn't mind crowds of people dancing singing or other loud noises, it can be a fun opportunity to dress-up and bring your dog along.