When was the last time you were excited about Santa Claus? When you were a kid, right? The excitement of waiting for a fat beardy guy who somehow fit through the chimney hole to leave you presents under the tree has somehow dwindled, right? Dont let mundane aspects of adult life dull your Christmas spirit, and let Santa be the center of your excitement again, by celebrating Santa Con! We bring you top things to do during the annual pre-Christmas crawl. 

  

Image Source: Anthony Quintino/flickr

 

It is said that over 20,000 people will be participating this year. The parade is supposed to be held on 10th of December, and the venues will be announced only the night before.

If this is your first time participating in a Santa Con, and you have no idea where to begin and how to prepare, dont worry! We got you covered. Follow the five mentioned things here to start your amazing pub crawl!

We cannot stress this enough but the parade, pub crawl and after parties are going to be exhausting. You will not have enough time when you are out to have a proper meal, so eat a healthy breakfast and carry some protein bars with you.

This can prove to be a very important advice as many of the bars in New York will not allow any Santas inside, and even if they would, there will be a huge line of people trying to do the same thing. So have a beer or two before you put on those red pants. 

  

Image Source:Anthony Quintino/flickr

 

As mentioned earlier thousands of people participate in Santa Con every year. The last thing you want is getting crushed between hundreds of Christmas characters before even reaching the place. Leave early and plan your route accordingly.

Santa Con is called Santa Con because it takes place in December, which is extremely cold. Do not wear skirts or shorts, and carry a big warm coat (just like Santa). The last thing you want to do is visit a hospital for hypothermia.

Santa Con is considered as a nuisance amongst many New Yorkers, and there is a good reason behind it. The drunk and irresponsible Santas get drunk and end up breaking each others nose. Those are bad Santas, you dont want to be a bad Santa. Follow the guidelines, dont over Drink and respect the authority who are just there to help you. Dont ruin someones Christmas. 

 

 

Now that you know how to prepare for your first pub crawl, you are ready to go on an amazing journey! But if you are thinking where do you go first and what do you drink? Let us help you out. Winter is also that time of the year where many bars and restaurants come up with a special winter cocktail menu. If you want to know about the best ones you can try out, follow our list of six different amazing cocktails you can try on your pub-crawl.

  

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This Italian-American restaurant located in Chelsea has many seasonal cocktails that are equally amazing. But the cocktail that completely takes the cake is the (in)famous Mirtillo Martini, which is basically a classic martini with an interesting seasonal tweak. If you dont feel like channeling your inner James Bond while you are dressed as Santa, you can opt for the Londons Ford gin or the Carpano Antica.

 

This drink brings the tradition of Christmas Eve celebrated in Cuba all the way to the Carroll Gardens bar. The name "Noche Buena literally translates to "good night in Spanish. Were sure you are not going to have any more reservation about this drink after that. It consists of Black Bottle Scotch and Plantation Jamaica rum with a flash of coffee liqueur and a fourth of egg white, cinnamon and an espresso bean to top off the Christmassy sip.

  

Image Source: pani/pixabay

Egg-nog has been the traditional drink when the holiday season arrives. But if you are following our article, were quite sure you are not the most traditional type of person. After all we are talking about drunk Santas here! Continuing on that theme this West Village bar combines the two best traditional drink into one, the Sakegg-Nog. It consists of a Japanese twist on a traditional eggnog with a blend of soy milk, vanilla, sugar and egg yolk. This drink can also be served hot on request.

 

No this is not a fire-breathing dragon. It is actually warm hot cocoa with some festive twist. It consists of cold coconut milk, some spicy coffee, a dash of Bittermens chocolate and some boisterous Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, with a spoon of cinnamon syrup. It might sound very unusual but itll get you to see Santas flying around in the sky. 

So if youre looking forward to being a part of this years SantaCon dont forget to go through all the official guidelines and rules. You do not want to be that Santa who gets kicked out of his own parade. And the most important thing, do not forget your Santa Clause outfit or your Elf (not The Lord of the Rings ones) outfit.

 

If you want to know more about SantaCon in San Francisco, click here.