The crisis will not stop Catalans from enjoying their traditional King cake on the 6th of January. The most important thing about this special King cake is not the taste, but rather the excitement of the treats that come with it.
Barcelona (ACN).- The main parade will distribute over 40 tonnes of sweets that are suitable for celiacs. It is not Santa who comes to Catalonia bearing gifts, but the Three Wise Men. That is why the 6th January, known as the Day of the Three Magic Kings is celebrated like Christmas in Catalonia
How do Catalans abroad celebrate Christmas? The CNA has met four Catalan and foreign families to discover how they spend Christmas
Esther and Dylan Jeannotte are celebrating Christmas this year in New York with their two children. While their Christmas celebrations are very American, native Catalan Esther is slowly incorporating Catalan traditions such as the ‘caga tió’ and ‘sopa de galets’.
Marc, Catalan, and Elke, German, reside together in Berlin with their daughter Matilda. This year they will spend their first Christmas in Catalonia.
Neus and Cédric plan to celebrate French and Catalan Christmas traditions with their newborn son.
The Caga Tió (literally “poop log”) and Saint Nicholas combined. The Massard Sans family of Brussels celebrates Christmas with a mix of Catalan and Belgian traditions.
Catalan Christmas tree growers have been greatly affected by the crisis, with an almost 50% sales drop in recent years. Growers hope that exporting Christmas trees to countries like France and Portugal will help them come out of the crisis.
Catalans are known throughout the world for their strong-rooted, but strange Christmas traditions. Among them include the ‘caganer’ (crapper), the ‘caga tió’ (poop log) and the traditional ‘pessebre’ (nativity scene).
The ‘caganer’ is a figure in Catalan nativity scenes that is depicted in the act of defecation. The literal translation for ‘caganer’ means ‘shitter’. The tradition has existed in Catalonia and surrounding areas since the 17th century.