By Emily Chalas
12/13/14. It isn’t just a cool date. It is also the day of SantaCon, when New Yorkers dress up as Old Saint Nick and parlay from bar to bar to bar and drink until they can’t anymore.
According to the SantaCon official website, “SantaCon is a charitable, non-commercial, non-political, nonsensical Santa Claus convention that happens once a year for absolutely no reason.”
It is not just a day of boozing, SantaCon encourages participants to “ho” for a good cause. SantaCon is a fundraiser, say organizers, with over $60,000 donated to charity in 2013. These charities include Food Bank for New York, Brooklyn Food Coalition, World Hoop Day and more.
Naturally it is a fundraiser with a very particularly ‘tude, a la the 4 F’s of Santacon:
1.Don’t F*ck with Kids
2.Don’t F*ck with Cops
3.Don’t F*ck with Bar Staff
4.Don’t F*ck with NYC
SantaCon was on the verge of not existing this year due to last year’s multiple fights, arrests and disorderly conduct but instead the organizers decided to keep it low key. Participants could only get the details about the official meet up by texting “Follow SantaCon” to 40404 the night before the event. They then received a link with the specific bars that would be hosting SantaCon revelers.
What many SantaCon partygoers realized quickly was that being outrageous was going to be difficult alongside other New Yorkers who were crying in outrage “black lives matter” and “I can’t breathe.”
Swarms of belligerent drunken Santas clashed with thousands upon thousands who participated in The Millions March in the wake of the Eric Garner and Michael Brown.
Many of the SantaCon participants were confused to what was going on. “I thought it was just a day for fun, don’t the bars donate?” said Chris, a SantaCon participate who traveled from Connecticut on the Metro North.
“We understand that they want to have their day and drink and have fun but please, don’t interrupt us when we’re fighting for social change,” said Michelle Joseph, 33, who was chanting along with the crowd “Black lives matter.”
Joseph asked the Santas to curb their drunken enthusiasm. “You can’t be outrageous when we’re here fighting and crying for the inequalities that continue to exist in America. Go that way and we’ll stay this way.”
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