Cities across the world (305 of them in 41 countries) will be overrun by gangs of Santas in December as part of the annual gathering known as SantaCon.

Combining aspects of a flash mob, a pub crawl and an impromptu parade, SantaCon is a gathering of St.Nick-costumed merrymakers looking for a bit of Christmas fun.

Spontaneity, humor and the spreading of seasonal cheer are the main components of the mass meet-up. While having fun is the goal, there are some guidelines for those Santa wannabes who want to take part. Making kids cry while in costume, throwing coal at people, getting sh#t-faced while still dressed as Father Christmas, and being a Scrooge to bar staff is frowned upon. You can see all of the guidelines HERE.

In some cities, SantaCon partners with charities to raise money for different projects and organizations. In New York, thousands of dollars of donations as well as significant amounts of food items have been collected through SantaCon in previous years.

Cities like New York, Vancouver, Adelaide, Beijing, London, , and Seoul have upcoming SantaCons.

Check out the list of locations and dates here

Has anyone taken part in one of these? I happened across SantaCon Vancouver a few years ago and it looked like a lot of fun but I am curious to know what the experience was like.