Santacon

Click here to view Santacon

The night before santacon, I went home early.

I had spent the day dropping off Santa costumes, giving classes, working in confusing ways, all over the city, conducting an orchestra. I ended the night early, my friends drinking holiday cheer. It was warm, but I had to go. I had an appointment at 10 AM at the Delancey Lounge. Just me and a hundred other people dressed as Santa, ready to wander the city, I imagined.

I showed up, my costume in my bag, and found myself surrounded by Santas. I knew what was happening, but even still, the sight of half a dozen santas walking around was shocking. Eager to join the crowd, I ducked into a church, put on my costume, and ran over to the bar. Everyone was buzzing, giddy and thristy. The crowd was far beyond what I expected, and I later heard we had grown to near two thousand.

At some point, I looked to Kieran. As the only one who made the early trek with me to our first location, we kept turning to each other in shock, sharing our disbelief. The first bar had its rollgate down, enhancing the delusion that we were at a late night dance party. The hallucination was encouraged by bloody marys, jello shots and whiskey… all of which only serve to confuse and disorient you when you finally go outside and find the sun so fresh and cold you know it isn’t yet noon.

Believe in Santa. Believe in Jesus. Believe in fantasy. Whatever you chose, there have always been holidays in the winter. Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, Yule…these festivals were celebrated at the end of December in pre-Christian times. It seems fair, therefore, to claim that Santacon is a restoration of pagan era festivities. Of course, you wouldn’t reflect on this history when a crowd of Santas are marching through midtown shouting ‘Ho Ho Ho Ho.’

Click here to view Santacon