SantaCon around the world – in pictures

Like New York's version of St Patrick's Day, SantaCon is mostly an extended bar crawl, though standing and walking are also permitted. Photograph: Kena Betancur/Getty Images Photograph: Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Noah, looking stylish from last night's rave, woke up late and raced with two Santas through New York to get to SantaCon. Photograph: Kena Betancur/Getty Images Photograph: Kena Betancur/Getty Images

The NYPD's drunken Santa task force is on hand, ready to prevent bakery thefts and bumbled home invasions via roofs and chimneys. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/REUTERS

These out-of-control revelers queue patiently to have their IDs checked at an East Village bar. Photograph: Kena Betancur/Getty Images Photograph: Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Tompkins Square Park, in the East Village. From bottom left to right: sexy Santa, awkward Santa, Uncle Sam-ta, Metro Viking, Rick Rubin Santa, Barbara from down the hall, corn cob Santa, Santa's dissolute youth as a Starbucks salesman, Rob Ford Santa, Santa, etc. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/REUTERS Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/REUTERS

Boston, eager to compete with New York, held its SantaCon a week earlier, taunting its rival city with a kimono elf and peaceful yeti. Photograph: Paul Marotta/Getty Images Photograph: Paul Marotta/Getty Images

London has taken to SantaCon, as well, with adults giddy as children and children giddy as adults whose parents forced them to wear reindeer hats and red noses and march around in public. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

The jolliest of Santas seek happiness at the bottom of a bottle of Chardonnay. Photograph: Nelson Pereira/Demotix/Corbis Photograph: Nelson Pereira/ Nelson Pereira/Demotix/Corbis

A smoking turkey and his slovenly friend bully a lonely Santa about his stupid outfit. Photograph: Marcus Tylor/Demotix/Corbis Photograph: Marcus Tylor/ Marcus Tylor/Demotix/Corbis

Australian Santas wave hello on their way to a pub during Sydney SantaCon. Photograph: Richard Milnes/ Richard Milnes/Demotix/Corbis Photograph: Richard Milnes/ Richard Milnes/Demotix/Corbis

In Madrid, a woman on her way to the second 5.5k Santa Claus race – unaffiliated with SantaCon – gets into character and starts twinkling her eyes at passengers on the train. Photograph:Hugo Ortu o Su rez/Demotix/Corbis Photograph: Hugo Ortu O Su Rez/ Hugo Ortu o Su rez/Demotix/Corbis

Thousands of Madrileños run for a charity that buys Christmas presents for poor children around the world, annoying very few other Spanish people with wintry bacchanalia and doing a good deed instead. Photograph: Hugo Ortu o Su rez/Demotix/Corbis Photograph: Hugo Ortu O Su Rez/ Hugo Ortu o Su rez/Demotix/Corbis