Christmas in Barcelona - Complete With Pooping Figurines

[Velimira Velikova]

Have you ever been to Barcelona at Christmastime? Sure, sun and sandy beaches come to mind, when mentioning this name, but Christmas is very special for the Catalans.

If you haven’t visited the city at this time of the year, do so – the temperature are high enough for pleasant stroll down the streets, full of lights. And there are loads of things to do in Barcelona. You can best feel the spirit of the festivities at Fira de Santa Llucia, the most traditional Christmas market in the city. Here you will find all kinds of Christmas stuff to decorate your apartment in Barcelona during your stay. And the decorations, oh, they are very…unusual.

 

The most typical Christmas decoration you can find in a Catalan home is the Caga-tió, a creature from the Catalan mythology. Caga-tió is a funny, smiley wooden log with decorative eyes, nose, mouth, legs and a Catalan hat on its head, that children poke with a stick. While poking the log, they sing a song to tell the Caga-tió to give them presents and then sweets fell out of its bottom!

Another traditional figure that you are going to find in every Catalan home is the caganer - a little shepherd having a poop in the bushes, in the Nativity. You will find all kinds of caganers in the Fira de Santa Lluciamarket. Apart from the classic shepherds, politicians, FC Barcelona players, and other celebrities (even the Pope), are turned into little caganers that you can buy to decorate your apartment in Barcelona.

You can find Christmas trees in Barcelona homes, as well. However, they aren’t usually very big and are often made of plastic, but always very well decorated. So, if you’d like a Caga-tió and a little man, taking a dump in your apartment on Christmas, Barcelona is the best place to be.

Tip: Go to the Fira de Santa Llucia, from the first Saturday of December to 23^rd December, and buy this funny Christmas decorations for your apartment and live in a typical Catalan ambiance during your stay in Barcelona.

[Juan Martinez]

I bought three caganers when I was in Barcelona. They are Christmas decorations that I display all year.