"When SantaCon started, the whole point was to create a blank slate, this piece of absurdism that anybody could fill with their own hopes, dreams, meaning, whatever it was. And to some people, that might have been political or an act of protest. To others, it might have just been the need and beauty to do something wonderful and fun with their friends."
"It might have been the hope to create a sense of shock and awe in the people around them. In the tradition of all great absurdists and surrealists, SantaCon's origins were less about having a didactic meaning and more about creating a framework that would cause beautiful confusion in the world around, hopefully causing people to stop for a second and go, "Wait, what?""
SantaCon originated in San Francisco in 1994 via the Cacophony Society as an absurdist, anarcho-Dada spectacle intended as a blank slate for participant expression. Participants used the event for varied purposes, from political protest to social play, aiming to create shock, awe and beautiful confusion. Over time, the event evolved into a mainstream annual pub crawl characterized by large crowds in polyester Santa suits and occasional public disorder. A documentary titled "SantaCon" traces these radical roots and examines how the event transformed as it gained wider public participation.
Read at Mission Local
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