Ceramic figurines of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, called “caganers,” are seen at the Santa Llucia Fair in Barcelona, Spain, in 2005. Statuettes of well-known people defecating are a strong Christmas tradition in Catalonia, dating back to the 18th century. The figures symbolize fertilization, hope and prosperity for the coming year.
Holiday traditions such as wrapping gifts and eating fruitcake may suck, but nothing is crappier than a bizarre Christmas custom practiced in Spain.
While a typical Nativity scene in most parts of the world usually includes figurines of baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary and their entourage of Wise Men and farm animals, folks in the Catalonia region of Spain add their own weird twist.
If you look really closely at Christmas Nativities in Catalan cities like Barcelona or Tarragona, chances are you’ll find a strange figurine of a man squatting and pooping somewhere in the manger. There’s even a little pile of poop right next to the figure to prove it.
That’s right. Someone is taking a crap right in the middle of baby Jesus’ birthday, but in Spain, it’s no big deal.
Ceramic figurines of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, called “caganers,” are seen at the Santa Llucia Fair in Barcelona, Spain, in 2005. Statuettes of well-known people defecating are a strong Christmas tradition in Catalonia, dating back to the 18th century. The figures symbolize fertilization, hope and prosperity for the coming year.
The pooping peasant figure is called “el caganer ” – which translates to “the defecator” – and has been a stinky staple in Catalan Christmas culture since the 18th century, according to Spaniard Ana Ramiro, press manager for the Tourist Office of Spain in Los Angeles.
Ramiro told AOL News that el caganer is a very popular and common holiday figure all over Catalonia and in parts of Italy, France and Portugal, and is often hidden somewhere obscure, like behind a tree, in public Nativities.
In fact, she said Catalan kids have been known to make a festive game out of spotting the pooping peasant this time of year because it is that likely that he’s in there somewhere.
It’s like playing “Where’s Waldo?” – only with poop.
But why in the name of you know who is there a man relieving himself in the manger?
Well, Ramiro cleared the air and revealed that the reasons are really quite simple.
“There are many interpretations of what el caganer stands for, but the most popular belief is that he’s fertilizing the earth to bring forth a good harvest. It’s to bring good luck and abundance in the new year,” she explained. “Some people also think that just like a birth is natural, going to the bathroom is too, so he fits right in.”
Either way – No. 1 or No. 2 – Ramiro said el caganer is here to stay, and is even tolerated by the Catholic Church.
“I remember visiting my grandmother’s church as a child and seeing el caganer squatting and pooping in the church Nativity. I’ve never heard of people being offended by it, since it’s such an old tradition,” she said.
El caganer has become so widely accepted, figurines are sold all over Catalonia. A version of President Barack Obama as el caganer is even available online.
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Hello Kitty might take a minor issue with the caganer figure of herself. She’s a gata refinada y amable and would answer nature’s call only in an appropriate location, most likely a litter box. In the future, she might prefer that the litter box be included in the sculptural rendition.
