Santas Invade D.C. for Santarchy 2013 (photos)

Once a year, hundreds of otherwise normal people gather on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., dressed as Santa Claus. They call the event Santarchy. Also spotted were Frosty the Snowman, the Gingerbread Man, assorted reindeer, Gumby and Santa Dog. We followed the marching Santas from the steps of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum to the Carousel on the National Mall, up to the Washington Monument, the National Christmas Tree and the White House. They were last seen in the Penn Quarter, looking for sustenance at several of the local watering holes.

As the group says on its website, “Santarchy takes place in major cities all over the world involving tens of thousands of Santas. It is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious and non-sensical celebration of holiday cheer, goodwill, and fun. There is no good reason to dress up in cheap Santa suits, run around town, give gifts, sing songs, have strangers sit on our laps, and decide who is naughty or nice — but it’s a lot of fun — so Santa does it anyway. Everyone loves Santa, and Santa loves everyone! Santarchy is your chance to be Santa, so step up and be jolly.”

View our photos of Santarchy 2013 – Washington, D.C., by clicking on the photo icons below.