No, I can't find him ...
@Sandra1952 (6047)
Spain
December 24, 2009 2:53am CST
I'm talking about El Caganer, or the 'sh*tting shepherd.' Let me explain. Here in Spain, even the samllest village boasts a Belen at Christmas. It's a nativity scene, but on a much grander scale. It has moving parts, lights, smoke, running water - you name it. Even our small village of 3000 souls has a Belen which covers half the village square, and Belens in larger towns can be quite spectacular, with real animals and people in some cases.
It's been traditional for the last 200 years or so to include El Caganer, always hidden behind a bush and well away from the Holy Family. El caganer originated in Catalonia, and is a symbol of good luck - man getting rid of waste, which fertilises the earth so things grow and good comes from bad. These days, they satirise popular (or unpopular) figures by making caganer caricatures. According to the news, this year's best sellers are Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth of England. One would not be amused at having one's a*se on public display! BTW, do you think her sh*t comes out monogrammed? I'm curious.
We've been around our beautiful Belen in Algorfa twice, but we still haven't found the caganer. We must find him by New Year to ensure prosperity, and it doesn't count if someone else points him out. We'll just have to go down today for another look, which will probably end with tapas and drinks in our favourite bar. Life is hard.
So, have you embraced a Christmas custom where you live with enthusiasm?
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6 responses
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Dec 09
Glad you enjoyed it. I love the Christmas traditions here in Spain - everything is so much less commercialised. And yes, I will find him today. I've told my husband to take his binoculars!
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@Canellita (12029)
• United States
24 Dec 09
OMG! I don't know whether to laugh or to be apalled! What a scavenger hunt you are on! I am quite certain that some of thoes famous faces that appear on these things would not be at all amused by it, tradition or not.
I can't say I have ever considered how someone's elimination appears as it exits their body.
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@Canellita (12029)
• United States
26 Dec 09
That is so amazing! I hope I am never that famous in Spain!
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
25 Dec 09
Canellita, you have a great way with words! 'elimination exiting the body' - I love it. Thescavenger hunt was rained off yesterday, but I'll try again later. A friend, who always finds the caganer first time, offered to tell me yesterday, but I resisted the temptation. Famous Spanish people get quite annoyed if a caganer is NOT made of them, as apparently you're not considered to have made it here unless there is a caganer with your face on it!
@GardenGerty (169452)
• United States
27 Dec 09
I learn something new all the time. So you have to find this figure relieving himself in order to guarantee a good year next year? That sounds like fun.
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@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
27 Dec 09
Hello, Gerty. Yes, that's the idea! The Spanish, particularly the Catalan Spanish, where this custom originated, have a great sense of humour. Lots of their customs involve something a bit risque - they certainly know how to enjoy themselves!
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
25 Dec 09
Hello, Dawn, yes, that's one of the great levellers, isn't it? However rich or famous you are, nobody's come up with a surefire way of making your 'body eliminations' (thanks Canellita) smell of roses! I'd forgotten until you reminded me that chocolate advent calendars, like so many other Christmas tradtions, originated in Germany.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
24 Dec 09
Hi Sandra, Good to hear that satirisation has hit the Spanish nativity scene.
The only sign of christmas I've seen out here this year is those annoying ex pat carole singers in town today singing in English whilst wearing santa hats. They were getting in everyones way. At least they could have tried to sing in Greek.
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@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
25 Dec 09
Hello, Thea. Yes, they could have done at least one in Greek. Here, the expats sing carols on Christmas eve outside the Belen, while the locals brew up hot chocolate and serve polvorones. It was rained off yesterday, but last year they sang 'Feliz Navidad,' half in Spanish and half in English, so at least they acknowledged their host country.
@jb78000 (15139)
•
24 Dec 09
i love your description of this - especially the caganer. i can't say that i've pounced on any particular christmas traditions in the places i've lived but there was one place where effigies of unpopular figures were burnt at new year and this i thought was brilliant. popular then were the country's own politicians and of course the american president (bush then).
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@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
24 Dec 09
Hello, Judith. They do something similar to this in Valencia in June, I think. Effigies are paraded through the streets - some traditional, some caricatures of politicians and other public figures. Then, at the end of Fallas week, there's a big burn-up on San Juan beach. Aparently it originated in the mists of time with carpenters burning wood in their stash that was no good for anything else, and it evolved to what it is today.
The Spanish love to party, and many of their celebrations involve partying, mickey taking or both - that's why I love it so much here!
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