I took the 6 down to Grand Central Station and was immediately immersed in a sea of Santas, elves and revelers of every variety. Everyone-- participants and bystanders- was in high spirits, with laughter and excited discussions floating up to the gorgeous dusky blue ceiling of the main terminal.
There were FireSantas:
But this was my favorite group of boisterous and good-hearted merrymakers:
What is going on? I caught up with one of the Santas and asked. "Santacon!" he said. "Santarchy!" I later did a bit of research, and was floored that this cultural phenomenon had somehow completely passed me by. Santacon takes place in 24 countries, in well over 100 locations. Most events occur on the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of December. Essentially, it takes Naughty and Nice to a new and highly entertaining level. Open to all, with the aim of spreading cheer, and getting a little (or a lot) tipsy along the way, all the better if the day is enhanced by Christmas carols featuring spicy lyrics and a bit of general mayhem.
Happy holidays!
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