Christmas is not officially started until one of the main Christmas stars takes the stage. Do you know who we are referring to? He is not Santa Claus… We are talking about the most famous nativity scene figurine: the Christmas pooping figurine, el Caganer. It finally feels like Holiday season when the caganer figurine takes the stage on the nativity scene!.
Jokes aside, the truth is that the Christmas pooping figurine, “caganer”, is one of the most iconic Catalan Christmas figurines, which is able to take all the attention on a nativity scene. “I el caganer?” is one of the most repeated questions when staring at a nativity scene (yes, not even Jesus gets that amount of attention).
The caganer story
Out of curiosity you might find yourself asking to a Catalan what on Earth led them to put a man defecating on the same scenario of the newborn Jesus. Actually you will find him hidden behind a tree, literally doing his business. He usually is dressed up with the typical Catalan hat (which is called “barretina”), a white shirt and dark pants. You might find him smoking pipe as well.
A nativity scene will never be complete until Caganer is placed on it, hiding himself from being spotted.
Where does the caganer tradition come from?
A lot has been said about the origin of this curious tradition which has over 200 years of history. One of the most popular theories is that this figure was placed on nativity scenes with the aim of attracting fertility for the land as well as prosperity for the families. The Christmas pooping figurine is also known for attracting good luck in general. An explanation which is close to the one about Tió de Nadal: both find a meaning in terms of fertility linked to nature.
Caganer figurines for sale: Where to find the most curious (or the funniest) Christmas pooping figurines?
If you want to add this iconic figure to your nativity scene at home, you will easily find them almost everywhere. We specially recommend you to visit some of the Christmas markets in the city. There you will find the most funny personalizations of this figure: from politicians to featured characters of the year.
How many familiar faces do you spot on those nativity pooping figurines? Here is a picture we took years ago in Santa Llúcia’s market:
Christmas pooping figurine’s relative: El pixaner
Following the eschatological theme, another figure similar to the nativity pooping figurine appeared after him: el pixaner (a man pissing). This is more about a modern witticism to keep this funny tradition even more alive: some people also place a Christmas “pisser” on their nativity scene as well ;-)
Also, if you want to keep uncovering the mystery behind other Catalan Christmas personalities, don’t miss out another iconic one: Meet a Christmas personality: Tió de Nadal, the pooping log.