what to do for christmas

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.