‘Tis the season for Christmas kitsch

One of Montreal’s greatest cultural assets is its endless capacity for kétainerie. Holiday decorations are a case in point. Every year, Montrealers seem to outdo themselves by planting inflatable Christmas decorations on their balconies and in their front yards, usually accompanied by lights, plastic figurines and other things that can be bought at the local hardware store for under $50.

I’ve seen a lot of elaborate Christmas displays, but my all-time favourite can be found on St. Urbain just above Laurier, where a grey duplex provides the stage for a most exciting holiday drama: the kidnapping of Santa Claus. Here, in a tiny front yard on a busy street, Santa and his polar bear sidekick are trapped inside a giant snowglobe guarded by a gang of malevolent penguins. They press their hands against the walls of the globe, crying for help, but their pleas go unheard by harried passersby.

Meanwhile, the evil Nutcracker watches over the whole scene from his second-floor perch. He’s cackling with villainous delight because at his side stands an imposter Santa. What havoc will the Nutcracker, his fake Santa and the hench-penguins wreak on Christmas this year?

Elsewhere in Montreal, there are other episodes of holiday kitsch. Inflatable snowmen emerge with the first signs of the holiday season. Watch out, though — they’re a fickle bunch. If you have a green Christmas, like we did last year, they will be terribly depressed. I spotted the one above on December 25th, 2006, so distraught by the 10 degree temperature that he seemed to have given up on life altogether. He just stared at the ground and sulked. I couldn’t do anything to cheer him up.

I hope he made it through the year, because there has been no shortage of snow this December. All the snowmen I’ve seen have been very happy.

Centre Street, Point St. Charles

Prince Arthur Street — this snowman talks! It’s creepy

St. Urbain Street, Mile End