LIVING

What makes Christmas special for Catalans are three essential items: food; a pessebre (nativity scene) featuring a caganer (defecator); and the cagatió (a defecating log—sense a theme here?)

To enjoy a typical Catalan Christmas lunch, start with a pica pica, followed by escudella (a rich broth with large pasta shells), then carn d’olla (a large meatball called a pilota) and next a capon (capó). Pineapple (pinya) is a common Christmas dessert in many homes, and to round off the gluttony a selection of turrons—nougat-like bars—is served, along with neules, which are tube-like biscuits. Sant Esteve, December 26th, is a Catalan holiday and the day is marked, yes, with food. However, the spread is far less copious—the stars of the show are canelons made with leftover meat from the previous day’s bird followed by fish or seafood.

To get pessebres, caganers and cagatiós, head to the annual Fira de Santa Llucia market at the Cathedral (until December 23rd). A nativity scene can be kept to the basics (Jesus, Mary, Joseph, couple of shepherds, a donkey) or lean toward the elaborate, adding a running stream, Roman soldiers and, of course, the caganer. He is the little man in the corner (usually dressed as a Catalan farmer in a red hat, a barretina, but also available in the shape of celebrities, including politicians, footballers and the Pope) squatting down to give back to nature what he’s taken from it.

The cagatió is a log with a smiley face, barretina and legs, who is ‘fed’ by children in the days leading up to Christmas. On either the 24th or the 25th (families choose which suits them), his backside is covered with a blanket and the children hit him with sticks, demanding that he ‘shit out’ their gifts. “¡Caga tió, caga tió!,” they shout. Then the kids are gotten out of the way so the presents can be hidden under the blanket, ready for the children’s return.

Christmas is for the children

For the younger generation, the biggest night of the season doesn’t actually happen until next month: the evening of January 5th is when the Three Kings visit bearing gifts to be opened on the 6th (although nowadays, many kids also get a few presents on December 25th). On January 5th, the kings arrive by boat at the Port, then floats carry the three regents along crowded streets while bucket-loads of sweets are thrown to the assembled masses; some neighbourhoods also hold their own, smaller processions.