Surprise Christmas Guest
We thought this one was a hoax, but after some serious
investigation, we discovered it’s 100 percent true.
Merry Christmas, from Spain.
In Catalonia, Spain, a region along the country’s border ith France, it’s tradition to display a Nativity scene at Christmas. And like most Nativity scenes around the world, the ones in Catalonia include figurines of the standard Christmas story characters: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Three Wise Men, some shepherds, and a few sheep and cows. But unlike other Nativity scenes, those in Catalonia feature one more character—El Caganer.
El Who?
El Caganer is a shepherd with his pants around his ankles, pooping. He shows up year-round and is usually found squatting behind a bush or bale of hay, wearing the traditional red Catalan hat and smoking a pipe. Ever since the late 17th century, though, the region’s Christmas Nativity scenes have always included El Caganer, which translated literally means “the great defecator.”
Human Fertilizer
It’s unclear exactly how the tradition started. But the Catalan people have always been a mostly agricultural society, and defecation was a symbol of fertility and a good crop. So the most commonly heard explanation is that El Caganer is there to fertilize the soil and bring forth a good harvest. He’s also thought to bring good luck and prosperity to people who invite him into their homes.
Originally made of clay, today’s El Caganer is usually made of plastic, and he comes in a variety of characters. Catalans no longer have to pick between a shepherd and a monk (the other traditional El Caganer). The modern pooping man can be a famous soccer player, police officer, actor, or rock star. There are even statues made of Santa Claus and political figures like President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and U.S. President George W Bush.
And Speaking of Poop...
The region’s children have their own special Yule log called the caga tio, or “pooping log.” For two weeks before Christmas, the caga tio—a loaf-sized wooden log that has a face painted on it and that wears a red hat—sits on a table in the family’s home. Every day, children and adults “feed” it (give it an offering of food or wine) until Christmas Day, when they move it to the hearth. Then, the children cover the caga tio with a blanket and hide while their parents put
wrapped presents, candies, and treats under the cloth. Finally, the local kids beat the log with a stick while pulling out treats and chanting this song (translated for your convenience):
Poop log! Poop log!
Poop candy for Christmas!
If you don’t, we’ll whack you again!
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