Ten years ago, SantaCon would have been impossible to organize. Today, thanks to digital communications, young fun-loving folks gather in hundreds of major towns and cities around the world to celebrate the start of the holidays.

They parade around in small groups dressed in Santa Claus costumes visiting bars and public places showing off their creativity. These make great photo-ops. This has been going on for a few years, but yesterday’s event was massive in most participating areas.

The advent of social media has made this annual event as popular as some major holidays. Groups organized themselves by posting their whereabouts on Twitter and Facebook. We did a lot of walking around Manhattan yesterday visiting friends, so we easily spotted hundreds dressed in festive costumes. Everyone seemed to be having a lot of good, safe fun spreading cheer and goodwill. We can all use more universal harmony.

First photo is a group who started a whole new initiative.