Better Watch Out: The History of SantaCon

The backstory to the global pub crawl that started in San Francisco

Thousands of people dressed up in Santa Claus costumes gather at Union Square in San Francisco to celebrate SantaCon on December 9, 2017. Photo: Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images

What do secret societies, anarchists, and Christmas have in common? The answer: SantaCon. The global pub crawl during which adults dress up as Santa Claus and wander around the streets first started in San Francisco in 1994 and has since expanded all over the world.