In 1994, the San Francisco chapter of the Cacophony Society staged the world's very first SantaCon. 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 guerilla street theatre, pranksterism, and public drunkenness . The idea was to gather a mob of as many willing people to dress in cheap Santa Claus costumes and perform publicly on the streets and in bars. Also known as Santarchy, Santa Rampages and the Red Menace, SantaCon events are noted for bawdy behavior, including the singing of naughty Christmas carols, and the passing out of adult-oriented gifts such as condoms. It is seen by some as a postmodern revival of Saturnalia. It is also a precursor of the flash mob.

In the following years, the San Francisco group brought SantaCon to Los Angeles, Portland, New York, Seattle, and Vancouver. The idea has spread to the extent that, in 2003, almost 30 cities in four countries are hosting SantaCon events.

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).

External links

• Santarchy!
• SantaCon - New York