Catalan Christmas
Have you ever heard that to Catalan children doesn´t bring Christmas gifts Santa Claus but a log? The “Tió de Nadal” (Chrismas Log) often called the “Caga Tió” (poo log). From the 8 December you have to feed it and keep it warm and on Christmas Eve it will defecate you the gifts (yes, you are reading right…). Those gifts are mostly chocolates, fruits and turrón (different types of nougat or marzipan). The bigger gifts bring to Catalan children the Three Wise Men, like in the other areas of Spain.
Other thing which could be quite shocking, is the Caganer – literally shitting man (and now also a woman). This figure from the nativity scene is probably the strangest nativity scene figure in the world. On Christmas markets you can see some figures of famous politicians, football players, singers even the pope in this unusual pose. (Similar figures you can find also in Andorra, Valencia, Murcia, South France or Italian Naples).