.SantaCon is an annual pub crawl where everyone dresses up like Mr. or Mrs. Claus. You would think it's fun and popular, but the most vocal sentiment online is that Santacon is the worst part of the holidays.
Judging by these AP pictures from SantaCon in London, it doesn't look that bad. Here you can see them in front of the iconic Big Ben! Now imagine the Empire State Building, or the Chrysler Building in its place. Seems nice, right?
And these Mrs. Clauses seem to be having a lot of fun riding the trolley.
Santas walking down the street seems like a nice, festive image. Can you think of how much nicer this would look in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the New York Public Library steps?
Or doing this on the Wall Street Bull!
And yet everyone in New York talks about it like it's the worst thing on earth:
SantaCon is the douchiest day of the year.
— Foster Kamer (@weareyourfek) December 15, 2012
The English language has yet to invent a word to describe the inescapable awfulness of SantaCon.
— Brian Moylan (@BrianJMoylan) December 15, 2012
German tourists just off the Chinatown bus stripped down and donned Santa costumes on the sidewalk. That's the real spirit of Santacon.
— Rose Costello (@rosiecost) December 15, 2012
SantaCon.... Who came up with the idea? And why? Not a good look.. Sorry.
— MB Fashion Week (@MBFashionWeek) December 15, 2012
top 5 amateur hour days: st. patrick’s day, santacon, halloween, new year’s eve clubs, night before thanksgiving.
— amaeryllis (@amaeryllis) December 15, 2012
THINK HOW MUCH COOLER DANZIGCON WOULD BE THAN SANTACON. BUNCH OF SHORT DUDES WALKING AROUND IN BLACK MESH TANK TOPS SINGING "MOTHER."
— JADEDPUNKHULK (@JADEDPUNKHULK) December 15, 2012
Every person participating in Santacon immediately goes on the Naughty List. Choose your path wisely, friends.
— Gavin Purcell (@gavinpurcell) December 15, 2012
Staying indoors all day to avoid #Santacon. I've stocked my apartment with more supplies than I did during #Sandy!
— Effed in Park Slope (@effedparkslope) December 15, 2012
Oh god. Not Santacon.
— Matt Doyle (@MattfDoyle) December 15, 2012
So, why all the hate? Is it just classic New York City cynicism, or are these complaints founded in real-life reasons to hate people having a few drinks and dressing up like Santa Claus? Well...
"There was public urination, people vomiting all over the place, open containers and no police," said John Fratta, chairman of the Seaport/Civic Center Committee which plans to send an angry missive to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and the 1st Precinct complaining about the lack of enforcement during SantaCon.
Apparently some of the Santas have a little too much rum and egg nog. Last year was especially terrible, according to this DNAInfo report. It seems a lot of the Santas are just jerk frat boys looking to continue binge drinking once school is out. The SantaCon hate in New York is so palpable Eater made "No Drunk Santas Welcome Here" signs for restauranteurs to print out ahead of today's festivities, and Gothamist made a map of how to avoid the Krooked Kringles throughout the day. This is just the lineup of Santas to get into one New York City bar this afternoon:
Capital New York's Joe Pompeo summed it up nicely for CNN's British import Piers Morgan:
@piersmorgan It's an annual thing. Beware of drunken Santa frat boy vomit on the sidewalks later.
— Joe Pompeo (@joepompeo) December 15, 2012