Dennis Hollingsworth

K?ln Xmas 2004

The imagery of Christmas here in this part of Germany is similar to what we are used to in North America: snowy forest landscapes, Santas, Frosty the Snowman, elves, stuff like that. Of course, there are elements that I can't track, such as this grandmother figure floating in the sky on a pillow, and what is the story behind the mice, fox and bambi figures? This was a bilboard featured prominantly above a small fair in the city, it must be a popular holiday story.

We had heard of the holiday drink "Gluhwein", and this seemed to be the place to test it out.

This guy charged us 9 euros for two mugs, selling the mug along with the drink. Drinking out of ones' shoes seems to be a universal sign of festivity.

Spiced hot wine on a cold day and later, a sausage to top it off. It was a good way to hang a bit in our first morning on foot in the city, and watch people prepare for Christmas day.

I like seeing how the images of xmas are inflected in every place. This Santa has this determined look on his face. No, he looks beseeching. The fact that this is a trash can lid kind of reverses the meaning of Santa's bag of presents. Interesting too, that this Santa is unconcerned with recycling, which is very determined in Germany (locals separate paper, plastic and three kinds of glass: clear, brown and green).

Later in the day, I saw a trashtruck upload the goods: a very techy and clean truck zooms to a stop as the driver in smart overalls jumps out with a remote control unit for the huge hydraulic pincers to lift the large steel cans overhead as his cute and trusty Jack Russel Terrier awaits in the passenger seat for his master to return, bobbed tail wagging.