Santas brave the snow! Thousands [of Santa Clauses] take to the streets of New York...

Revelers braved the snow brought by Winter Storm Benji for New York City's annual pub crawl as SantaCon kicked off Saturday morning.

Thousands took to the street as meteorologists warned that up to four inches of snow could fall in the Big Apple.

Cheerful drinkers and Santa clones began their festivities at the Farley Post Office on Eighth Avenue at 10am as flurries fell. While the event ends around 7pm, a weather advisory has been set in place until 1am on Sunday.

The heaviest snowfall is expected between noon and 3pm, but wet flakes should be coming down into the evening before tapering off early Sunday morning.

One of those "you have to be there" things. I caught up in one of these a couple years ago. I was taking some family members into the city for some sightseeing and the first tip-off was that the train was full of people dressed like Santa Claus!

Hijinks ensued and on the way home that night, the trained were full off cops keeping an eye on everybody. We some very loud and boisterous Santas riding home with us - deep in their cups! We were just curious spectators. I know the locals hate this event with a passion but it seemed kind of fun...and weird.

I find these pub crawls depressing. we see them in San Francisco.

The women are usually dressed like rapper hos, and the Santa guys, they are stumbling drunk and stuff, staggering around.

It’s one of the few innocent things about our culture, right now, the kids still believe in Santa, you know? And then they all get to see that, if they are out and about, anyway. It’s not pretty.

You might say oh it’s adults at clubs, but no, it’s adults, I say staggering and being really sexual and bawdy, on the streets going from place to place, and during the day.

Persevero doesn’t approve. But no one asked Persevero.

Point taken but even when I was 4 years old, my mother would point out the "department store" Santa Clauses as just being "Santa's helpers."

Like in the Beach Boy's song that everybody hates. (I like it though)

The real Santa Claus was sitting up at the North Pole preparing for his trip.

They'll need plenty of this...

Dan Aykroyd: Look, he's so jolly, he's smart, he knows if you've been sleeping - but do you know where he's been sleeping?

Laraine Newman: [ sits up with a stir ] Oh, my goodness!

Dan Aykroyd: That's just it, Look, Laraine - I love Santa just as much as anybody else, but, December 26th, Noel over here goes back to the Y.

Mall Santa: [ drinking from a bottle of alcohol ] Ho ho ho..

Laraine Newman: But won't toilet paper protect me?

Dan Aykroyd: Two-ply? Never. Not these germs. Let me show you.

[ show image of Santa's bare leg ]

Dan Aykroyd: This is a picture of Santa's leg. Seems normal. But look at the same picture magnified under a microscope.

[ show circular close-up of tiny little men sitting on a street corner, with little hairs surrounding the lens ]

Laraine Newman: Are those Santa's helpers?

Dan Aykroyd: Yes, those are Santa's helpers. And they're communicable. Now, will you stop using the two-ply?

Laraine Newman: What a fool I've been! [ replaces her toilet paper with one Santi-Wrap sheet and sits ] Okay.. I want a car, and a refigerator, and -

Dan Aykroyd: Use Santi-Wrap, and I promise you won't get one tick.. from jolly St. Nick.

Mall Santa: [ drinking from a bottle of alcohol ] Ho ho ho.. ho.. ho ho..

*brave the snow*

Dear Lord, it’s just snow.

The worst that will happen to them from it is to get a little cold and wet.

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