Well, here we are: just a few days before Christmas.

It’s not much of a surprise that this week’s most popular posts on snarfd carried a Christmas theme. From a cigarette-hawking Santa to Barcelona’s rude little crapping figurines, we tried to bring you a heaping helping of the holiday spirit.

This week also marked our one-month anniversary. With a half million visits under its belt, snarfd is off to a great start. Thanks for reading.

Here’s what was hot this week. Now get those gifts wrapped.
Santa Smokes Lucky Strike: Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words. This vintage Lucky Strike cigarette ad harkens back to the days when doctors actually recommended cigarettes to nervous or overweight patients. Santa’s under a lot of pressure this time of year. No wonder he kicks back for a smoke.

The Five Best TV Commercials of the 2007 Season: Yeah, Christmas advertising can be irritating — especially those beastly local TV ads where the business owner insists on dragging his or her extended family on screen for a nervous-sounding “Merry Christmas!” But these spots are in a class of their own. Our favorite was the beautiful ad from the UK’s John Lewis department stores, but commenters seem to have favored Oxfam’s good-hearted lamafest. Judge for yourself.

Rescuers of Baby Born in Train Toilet Flushed With Pride: What an awful title. It’s the week’s only non-Christmas entry to make our most popular list. Read how Taiwanese paramedics were able to rescue a baby born in the lavatory of a commuter train — and who slipped partway down the toilet before her mother passed out on the floor.

Urban Outfitter’s Catalog of Christmas Blasphemies: The Urban Outfitters gang are pretty good at offending holiday sensibilities. Last year, it was a handgun tree ornament. For 2007, they introduced a t-shirt with Santa giving everyone the finger. It was picked up by the Drudge Report, guaranteeing an immediate sellout. But, as it turns out, Urban Outfitters’ online catalog has plenty more in the seasonal eyebrow-raising department.

The Crapping Christmas Statues of Catalonia: The Catalan region of Spain has a strange sense of humor. Take a close look at Nativity scene anywhere near Barcelona, and you’re likely to find a surprise: a little figurine of someone taking a Christmas poop. It’s called the caganer, which is fairly translated “The Crapper.”  It’s a tradition which has been around for hundreds of years — and perhaps one worthy of wider adoption.

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