Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Forty drunken Santas rampaged through central Auckland, stealing from stores and assaulting security guards, the New Zealand Herald reported on Sunday, in a protest against the commercialization of Christmas.

40 Drunken Santas

Thats sort of funny and sad at the same time. I think however the Reuters article gets it pretty wrong when it calls the activity a protest of the "commercialization" of Christmas. The Santarchists even point out in their FAQ:

Santacon events are not anti- Christmas or anti-commercialism protests. Really, it's just a bunch of santas getting together to have a good time. It's amazing how clueless the media can be. How about some fact checking?

And the original article notes that site. They note it but did not apparently read it.

While being unruly and obnoxious in a mob all dressed in the same outfit surely could be fun - vandalism and theft sure as hell is not appreciated. Though this type "protest" seems to me like a most natural extension of
the winter solstice and Saturnalia type festivals. Far more natural than calling it a religious holiday based on the birth of some saviour - which the church grafted onto the aforementioned celebrations that had been in place for thousands of years prior to Christianity (and its of note that the Christan church in general alternatively embraced/forced and then outlawed Christmas several times, depends on your particular brand of Christian truth, er denomination).

So HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL (especially to those that think there is such a thing as the "war on Christmas").