Winnipeg's iconic 'humbug' Christmas light sign a donated family heirloom
Sid Farmer gave up his father's famous sign when he moved out of the St. James apartment 15 years ago
It's a word normally associated with a dismissal of all things Christmas, but every time Winnipegger Sid Farmer hears "humbug," he thinks of his holiday-loving dad.
"He was a firm believer in Christmas," Farmer told CBC News as he smiled down at a photo of his father.
Farmer's dad, Sidney Farmer, is the man who originally put up the now famous "humbug sign," which has been a Christmas landmark in the Polo Park area for decades.
The bright red sign has continued to shine from the same apartment balcony — at the top of 299 Queen St., making it visible from busy Route 90 just north of Portage Avenue — for more than 40 years.
'He wanted to make a statement'
When Sidney Farmer first moved into the building, he wanted to decorate the place for Christmas. But Farmer says his dad didn't want to be too traditional.
"He didn't want 'ho ho ho, merry Christmas, happy holidays,' or 'hi Santa.' All of those things were out there. He wanted to make a statement."
So Sidney Farmer's brother-in-law made him the "humbug" sign in the early 1970s. From then on, it was a tradition for the family to get together in early December for dinner and the hanging of the sign.
"It would take them hours to get it up," says Farmer.
"But they would get it all up and then complain about their frozen fingers."
Keeping the humbug spirit going
Life changed in 2002, however, when Farmer's dad left the apartment for a personal care home. As the family was cleaning out the suite, the building manager at the time asked to hold on to the sign, since it was so popular in the area.
"So I said, 'Sure, this is where it belongs. This is where people see it,'" explained Farmer.
"I could put it in my backyard and I would see it, but Winnipeg can see it this way."
The building's staff told CBC News that the current tenant agrees to put up the sign every year. They say he's a shy person and asks that his personal information doesn't get shared with journalists who call every year about the sign.
'My dad would be very happy'
Sidney Farmer died in 2011, but his son still has vivid memories of him at Christmas time — especially as he puts up his own homemade sign in his backyard.
"I wanted something like my dad, so I came up with 'ho ho ho.' I'm sure there are other signs out there like that, but that's what I came up with."
Even though he doesn't see it every December day like some Winnipeggers, Farmer says his life would be boring without the "humbug" sign.
"You're at the mall and you hear, 'Oh, the humbug sign is up' in the background. And I know that they're talking about my dad," he says.
"My dad would be very happy with it. Very proud of it."
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