SantaCon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SantaCon, short for "Santa Convention," is a mass gathering of people dressed in their various interpretations of Santa Claus costumes (most, however, are traditional), and performing publicly on streets and in bars in cities around the world. The focus is on spontaneity, creativity, and the improvisational nature of human interaction while having a good time. Variously known in the U.S. as Naughty Santas, Cheapsuit Santas, Santarchy, Santa Rampage, the Red Menace and Santapalooza, SantaCon events are noted for cheerfully bawdy and harmless behavior, including the singing of naughty Christmas carols, and the giving of small gifts and free hugs to random strangers. In Japan there is more of the "doing good" principle and they have contributed to the community through such activities as Santa litter-picking outings. [http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3u6ss_xmas_blog ] Some participants see SantaCon as a postmodern revival of Saturnalia, while others see the event as a precursor of the flash mob.
In 1994, the Cacophony Society staged the first SantaCon in San Francisco. Influenced by the surrealist movement, Discordianism, and other subversive art currents, the Cacophonists decided to celebrate the Yule season in a distinctly anti-commercial manner, by mixing guerrilla street theatre, pranksterism, and public intoxication. In subsequent years, SantaCon evolved, spawning many different versions of the event throughout the world.
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[edit] Santarchy around the world
Local Cacophony Societies have staged SantaCons in Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Seattle, Portland, San Jose,Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Austin Texas, Vancouver, London, Tokyo, and McMurdo Station in Antarctica. By 2003, the idea had spread to almost 30 cities in four countries. In 2005, enough Santas participated in the Washington DC Santarchy to encircle the Washington Monument. In Baltimore Santacon has been inconsistent, occurring some years but not others. But it was revived by an ornery band on December 15, 2007, which garnered some press coverage by the Baltimore Sun. In 2006 more than 600 Santas participated in an independent SantaCon in London, England
Santa events are now planned and put on by many groups for a variety of purposes. Some groups participate only for a night out bar hopping, while others parade through the cities in the daytime singing Christmas Carols, giving out candy and gifts to children, and raising money for charity. But not all Santa events are "Santarchy". Some santarchies are opportunities for extreme guerrilla street theatre and can be quite bizarre and rowdy, while others are more tame but each one has its own flavor depending on the individual personalities that participate and encourages creativity and humor. A true Santarchy event is also open and inclusive to all who wish to participate, while some other Santa events might not be. "That's the difference between Santarchy and other santa bar crawls, Santarchy includes all willing santas, encourages creativity, doesn't try to sell you anything, and isn't just about the bars...although that's usually where santarchists end up. But prior to that, there's lots of fun day time shenanigans!" - Santa Goddess.
[edit] Santarchy and the law
Most participants of Santarchy adhere to a set of 'Santa's Rules and Suggestions' [1]. Most Santa groups are not protesting about anything, and their only purpose is to have fun and spread holiday cheer. The London Santacon is one such example, which has been held every year since 2001 and attracted well over 1000 santas in 2007. There is a generally understood policy of "no politics" which makes it acceptable to all, and the group has managed to perform over various routes in London without any trouble or the need for police escort.[citation needed] More often than not, Santa-themed events take place each year without any notable disturbance.
There are exceptions however.
In 2005, a more violent version of the event occurred when on December 18, participants in Auckland, New Zealand, proceeded to start a small riot, with such criminal acts as looting stores, throwing bottles at passing cars, and assaulting security guards. At least two bystanders were lightly injured and three arrests were made. Alex Dyer, spokesman for the group, stated that Santarchy in Auckland was part of a worldwide phenomenon designed to protest against the commercialization of Christmas.[2] An update on the recent "Bad Santa" behavior is available on the santarchy.com website[3]. The New Zealand group claims the media exaggerated the incident. Many participants of other SantaCon and Santarchy events were very shocked and disappointed by the incident, and disputed Alex Dyers characterization of Santa events as being any kind of "protest". The antics of the drunk New Zealand Santas were made doubly prominent thanks to a Christmas Eve TV show made by Two Heads for Sky 1, the leading cable channel in the country.
Another incident occurred in December 2005, when a horde of Santas rode bicycles into traffic in Tulsa, Oklahoma during morning rush hour. Eyewitness, police scanner, and radio traffic reports indicate Santas were spotted across Tulsa. The Tulsa Indy Gazetteer later reported that at least one of the Santas was later apprehended and charged with violations of city ordinances. [4]. Riding bicycles however is not generally considered to be public disobedience by any authority, and in most countries, cars and bicycles have equal rights of way on general public roads.
Despite these stories, most SantaCon events still maintain Christmas cheer. According to Reuters News, a Santa in Great Britain in 2005 paid off parking tickets. The Santa left money on the windshields of drivers who have received parking tickets with the message "Don't let this ticket spoil your Christmas, Here's £30 to pay it off. Merry Christmas - Parking Ticket Santa."
[edit] In popular culture
- The Santa Rampage is mentioned in Chuck Palahniuk's book Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon and in his short story "My Life as a Dog" (featured in the book Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories).
- Two half-hour TV specials, "Santarchy" & "Santarchy II", were produced by Two Heads, www.twoheads.co.nz, for cable TV in New Zealand.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official Santarchy Site
- SantaRampage - Austin
- Santa Rampage - DFW Metroplex - Dallas/Denton/Arlington
- SantaCon - Chicago
- SantaCon - London
- SantaCon - New York
- SantaCon 2006 NYC Video The Reason Why Santa Came to Town (The Complete Version)
- SantaCon 2006 NYC Video
- Santarchy Toronto
- Santarchy - Washington DC
- Santarchy - Baltimore
- Rebels Without a Claus U.S. public radio show 'Marketplace' feature about L.A. SantaCon 2006
- SantaCon - Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Santarchy - Phoenix, AZ
- Santarchy Canadiana
- Santarchy - Detroit
- SantaCon - Berlin, Germany
- SantaCon - Munich, Germany
