Christmas card gets surrealist treatment thanks to Toronto family

A Toronto family is taking the classic holiday greeting card to a whole new level. 

Megan Saxton, her husband Joao Paulo Medeiros and 6-year-old daughter Ila have been creating one-of-a-kind Christmas cards for the past seven years.

The first year featured the couple as two Christmas reindeer, Rudolph and Vixen. The reaction from friends and family was so positive they decided to make it a tradition, featuring their newborn daughter in their sophomore card, re-creating a nativity scene.

"We're both pretty creative people," said Saxton. "The year before Ila was born we got in front of the camera together and got a little silly and it just escalated."

"We keep feeling like we have an audience to show up for every year."  

The themes for the cards are changed every year-- from Scarface to The Addams Family. 

This year's card was largely inspired by Medeiros's decision to grow a beard. When the time came for him to shave it off he transitioned to a moustache that looks a lot like Salvador Dali's and the nod to the surrealist painter was born. 

"Ila has been really into it," Saxton said. "She's quite a ham." 

Saxton says her favourite version so far has been the family's take on John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Bed-In for Peace. 

"It was so simple and the message was so perfect for the time of year."

Saxton says she plans to continue the tradition, shooting the card every year on their daughter's birthday, about a month before Christmas. 

"People are really excited to receive it. Every year we wonder how we're going to outdo the previous year," she said.