Where Christmas really sucks
As soon as the first candle is lit in Catalonia in northern Spain, children and adults alike return to an old custom that can be called "shitty". After all, the focus is not on candles or Christmas trees - everything revolves around a pile of shit!
"Caga Tió" always laughs - no matter how much of a beating the little guy gets: With sticks, sometimes with tennis rackets or through the feet of his tormentors, who are also his beneficiaries. Because when they beat him again on Christmas Eve, they don't do it out of pure lust, but in the expectation that he will give them lots of presents - in other words, poop! In good Catalan "cagar". "Caga Tió" therefore means something like "uncle little shit".
The Catalans - a pee-poo people?
The poor uncle is a cult figure in Catalonia, the region around Barcelona. In the big political arena, the Catalans are known to be striving for independence from Spain. In the private circle of their families, they have long celebrated the pre-Christmas period and the festive season in a remarkably independent tradition. Caga Tió puts an entire nation, children and adults alike, into the "wee-wee-poo phase" so to speak - or prevents them from ever getting over it.
Caga Tió, also known as "Tió de Nadal", comes in the form of a round log painted with a smiling face, standing on two or four wooden legs and wearing the traditional Catalan red cap "Barretina". A blanket is placed over the end of the log - the uncle's backside. The adults place sweets or leftovers underneath to feed him. The grown-ups actually eat the things or secretly make them disappear. On the day of the gift-giving, the little ones finally pounce on the wood and sing songs such as: "Caga Tió. Tió de Nadal, no caguis arengades que són salades, caga torrons que són molt bons." - "Caga Tió, don't shit herrings because they're salty, shit sweets because they taste much better!" It is a thoroughly vulgar tradition that is unparalleled in the wide world of Christmas.
Christian and pagan interpretations of the poop cult
There are some quirky Christmas traditions around the globe - starting with our own fibs and inconsistencies surrounding the figures of Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, the Christ Child and Knecht Ruprecht. Who wasn't confused when they were young: who is going to bring me my presents? Imports from the ubiquitous English language add to the confusion: "Santa Claus", "Chris Kringle" or "Krampus".
The latter, in turn, originates from the European Alpine region and makes its appearance on December 5 with the "Krampus Night": "good children" leave their empty boots outside the door for St. Nicholas. "Bad children", however, are supposed to fear being abducted to hell by a sinister journeyman - or at least getting a beating with a rod. These disgusting customs are explained in different ways. The interpretations range from an anti-Christian St. Nicholas, i.e. a kind of devil who reminds people of their sins, to pre-Christian pagan ideas of exorcizing evil with the help of rituals.
There are a number of similar interpretations for the little shit of Catalonia. The exact origin is unclear. The Christian Christmas story as we know it has been greatly purified: it does without diapers and bodily fluids. The faeces of Caga Tió, on the other hand, transformed into presents, symbolize the primal and at the same time miraculous in the baby Jesus. The fact that the official feeding time of the piece of wood begins on December 8, i.e. on the "Conception of the Virgin Mary", supports the Christian interpretations. Meanwhile, the pagan version is about fertility and transience. As disgusting as manure is, it is essential for the fertility of the fields. In the literal end, the excrement is even a good thing: the sweets that Caga Tió shits at Christmas mean wealth and happiness.
More than 30,000 celebrities in the loo
What also seals Catalonia's reputation as a dirty "poo-poo Catalonia" is a second character who poops a lot - and who should not be missing from any Catalan nativity scene! "Caganer" is the continuation of Caga Tió with human means of representation, i.e. with arms and legs, head and a - always naked - bottom in a toilet position. And because that's not enough, there's a sizeable turd underneath.
Traditionally, the hand-painted clay figures depict a Catalan farmer, dressed in black trousers and a white shirt and also with the red barretina on his head. The figure apparently dates back to the Baroque period around 300 years ago, when explicit depictions shaped art and language. But even today they still form part of Catalan expression.
Today, the tradition of realism is reflected all the more in the little caganers, which have also existed in the form of numerous contemporary figures since the last century: Sportsmen, kings, actors, musicians - for example, a pooping Leo Messi, a pooping Charles III, a pooping Dr. Strange or a pooping Shakira. You can find them for prices between 12 and 21 euros at the region's Christmas markets, starting with the beautiful "Fira de Santa Llúcia" in Barcelona's old town.
Biden, Putin and Scholz poop too
The range also includes politicians of all stripes, not just from the ranks of the Catalan independence movement and Spanish reaction. There is a pooping Joe Biden or a pooping Vladimir Putin, a pooping Recep Tayyip Erdoğan or the grand pooping coalition of Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz.
The largest manufacturer caganer.com alone aims to sell between 30,000 and 40,000 Caganer every year, many of them for export. No wonder, perhaps, when you consider how shitty the world has become and how good the latest shit still is sometimes.
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Despite the negative connotations associated with the tradition in the previous text, it's interesting to note that Spain, specifically Catalonia, has a unique international lifestyle during the Christmas season. The prevalence of Caga Tió, a figure symbolizing the giving of presents through defecation, is a testament to the region's distinct approach to the festive period.
This tradition, while seemingly unconventional, has even gained attention among celebrities worldwide, with figures such as Leo Messi, Shakira, and political leaders like Joe Biden and Angela Merkel depicted in the pooping position within Catalan nativity scenes. This quirky custom undeniably highlights the international recognition and appeal of the Catalan Christmas lifestyle.
Source: www.ntv.de
