Sung by one of Québec's most iconic bands, shown here in front of a mural in Montréal dedicated to their self-entitled first album, Beau Dommage's '23 décembre' ('December 23rd') is a 1950s neighbourhood portrait of pre-teens off from school until January 7th. It references working-class shops, hockey and Québec traditions that still persist today, like having a nativity scene under the Christmas tree, at a time when the Catholic church still had a firm hold on all French Canadians. Beau Dommage also sings about snow, jokes about pictures of naked ladies (sex and religion is a typical one-two combo) and mentions New Year's, making it a New Year's song as well!
More about the mural: it is the cover of Beau Dommage's first album, which cointains '23 Décembre' and is located in Montréal behind 6760, rue de Saint-Vallier, which is where the band started their career. This address is also part of the lyrics in 'Tous les Palmiers' ('All the palm trees').
Here's the original by Beau Dommage:
Here's a faithful, slightly more country, undated version by Hugo Lapointe:
Vincent Vallières et Mara Tremblay knock the harmonies out of the park on their cover:
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