{"id":60862,"date":"2015-12-12T14:24:21","date_gmt":"2015-12-12T13:24:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=60862"},"modified":"2021-08-03T13:55:28","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T11:55:28","slug":"caganer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/caganer\/","title":{"rendered":"El Caganer: an Unusual Catalan Tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Walking in the streets of Barcelona, particularly those that have souvenir shops, you may have already stumbled upon a very&nbsp;<strong>unusual figure<\/strong> that made you stop, step back and take a second look: with his pants down and buttocks exposed, a man squats happily over his recently produced poop.<\/p>\n<div id=\"metaslider-id-104522\" style=\"max-width: 850px; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-20-3 metaslider metaslider-responsive metaslider-104522 ml-slider\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_104522\">\n        <ul id='metaslider_104522' class='rslides'>\n            <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/\" target=\"_self\"><img width=\"850\" height=\"182\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/en-1.jpg\" class=\"slider-104522 slide-104523\" alt=\"rental apartments in Barcelona\" rel=\"\" title=\"Banner medio home inquilinos\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It may surprise you to learn that this little fellow is actually an important part of <strong>Catalan tradition<\/strong>. <strong>El Caganer<\/strong> or \u201cthe shitter\u201d is a ceramic doll wearing traditional Catalan clothes, that blesses people with a prosperous year.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ShBarcelona<\/strong> will help you discover <em><strong>el caganer<\/strong> <\/em>and why this figure is so important in Catalan tradition.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/caganer\/#What_is_a_Caganer_exactly\" title=\"What is a Caganer exactly?\">What is a Caganer exactly?<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/caganer\/#How_does_poop_equal_prosperity\" title=\"How does poop equal prosperity?\">How does poop equal prosperity?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/caganer\/#A_prominent_figure_in_Catalonia\" title=\"A prominent figure in Catalonia\">A prominent figure in Catalonia<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/caganer\/#Where_to_buy_a_Caganer_in_Barcelona\" title=\"Where to buy a Caganer in Barcelona\">Where to buy a Caganer in Barcelona<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/caganer\/#Caga_Tio_another_Catalan_pooping_character\" title=\"Caga Ti\u00f3, another Catalan pooping character\">Caga Ti\u00f3, another Catalan pooping character<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Caganer_exactly\"><\/span>What is a Caganer exactly?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_poop_equal_prosperity\"><\/span>How does poop equal prosperity?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Caganer appeared at the end of the seventeenth century, beginning of the eighteenth, becoming one of the essential characters to be placed in the nativity scene. That\u2019s right, the Caganer is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/catalan-christmas\/\"><strong>Christmas<\/strong><\/a> character that can be found in Catalan nativity scenes, just like Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the Caganer doesn\u2019t feel the need to stand in the spotlight to be gazed upon like the sacred figures. He is more than happy to squat in a more private section of the nativity scene, where he can do his business peacefully.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_85799\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-85799\" class=\"wp-image-85799\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Carlos-Lorenzo.jpg\" alt=\"caganer - catalan pooping figurines for sale\" width=\"640\" height=\"478\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-85799\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo by Carlos Lorenzo via Visualhunt<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&#8220;But what is the Caganer doing in a nativity scene in the first place?&#8221; you may wonder. Well, according to <strong>Catalan&nbsp;people<\/strong>, the Caganer&nbsp;is blessing the lands, fertilizing them with his miraculous feces. And though many people couldn\u2019t care less about the fertilizing of lands since they don&#8217;t own any, the meaning of the Caganeris&nbsp;actually a metaphorical one.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">By fertilizing the lands, the little character is actually fertilizing the people&#8217;s future, bringing luck and prosperity to all those who place him in the nativity scene, and bad luck to those who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Whether people believe the Caganer will actually make a difference in their luck, people enjoy having him around the house because it makes them smile. Some parents do an excellent job of hiding the Caganer in the nativity scene&nbsp;so that the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/parks-children\/\">kids<\/a> <\/strong>can have a good time looking for it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-large fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium ico-fa fasc-ico-before fa-chevron-circle-right\" style=\"background-color: #850909; color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/\">Discover ShBarcelona&#8217;s portfolio<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_prominent_figure_in_Catalonia\"><\/span>A prominent figure in Catalonia<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Caganer has become such a prominent figure in Catalonia, that new versions of it started appearing. Today, you can find <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=qIYwj9H10D4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Caganers<\/a><\/strong> in the form of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">the Queen of England<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">former American president Barack Obama<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Disney princesses<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Michael Jackson<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">SpongeBob Squarepants<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Frida Khalo<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">and even Star Wars\u2019 very own Chewbacca<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the Caganer\u2019s popularity doesn\u2019t stop there! This little Catalan man is doing a great job keeping up with the times and has even created <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/caganers?lang=en%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">his own Twitter account<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/catalan-traditions\/\">Interesting Catalan Traditions<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_buy_a_Caganer_in_Barcelona\"><\/span>Where to buy a Caganer in Barcelona<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you would like to buy a Caganer for yourself or to offer as a very <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/original-gifts\/\">original gift<\/a><\/strong>, visit one of the several souvenir shops in the Barcelona. There are plenty of them on Las Ramblas and inside the Gothic neighborhood.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_85797\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-85797\" class=\"wp-image-85797\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/nur.jpg\" alt=\"caganer of the smurfs\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-85797\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo by _nur via Visualhunt<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Another place where you can buy your&nbsp;Caganer is at one of the city&#8217;s annual Christmas markets.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There are plenty of stalls that pop up in different neighborhoods during Christmas season, but the most popular and central of them all is the&nbsp;<strong>Fira de Santa Ll\u00facia<\/strong>, which usually takes place in front of Santa Eulalia\u2019s Cathedral, in the Gothic neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There, you will be sure to find a great variety of&nbsp;Caganers to choose from, in all shapes and sizes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you would prefer to do buy your Caganer&nbsp;online, try <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.caganer.com\/es\/?controllerUri=index%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">El Rac\u00f3 del Caganer<\/a><\/strong>, where you will find a great variety of pooping figures, or even&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.es\/ref=nav_logo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Amazon.es<\/a><\/strong>, where they also sell some versions of this funny little fellow.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-large fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium ico-fa fasc-ico-before fa-chevron-circle-right broken_link\" style=\"background-color: #850909; color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/barcelona-rent\" rel=\"nofollow\">Find your next rental in Barcelona<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Caga_Tio_another_Catalan_pooping_character\"><\/span>Caga Ti\u00f3, another Catalan pooping character<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We could not end this article without mentioning&nbsp;Caganer&#8217;s friend, the lovely and equally bizarre&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/caga-tio-a-catalan-christmas-tradition\/\"><strong>Caga Ti\u00f3<\/strong><\/a>. If you appreciate the humor and quirkiness of the&nbsp;Caganer, then&nbsp;you will also want a&nbsp;Caga Ti\u00f3 of your own.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also known as the&nbsp;<strong>Catala Log<\/strong>, the Caga Ti\u00f3 is another traditional Catalan Christmas character who poops. (like a <strong>caganer nativity scene<\/strong>)&nbsp;The&nbsp;Caga Ti\u00f3 is a log decorated with eyes, a nose, a friendly smile, a pair of tiny legs and a traditional hat.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">People bring out the Caga Ti\u00f3 during December and have the children of the house cover it with a little blanket and &#8220;feed it&#8221; every night.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_60869\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-60869\" class=\"wp-image-60869\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/6534807329_a38995df37_o.jpg\" alt=\"caga tio\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-60869\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo via Visualhunt<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">On December 24th, the Caga Ti\u00f3&nbsp;is brought into the living room and the kids beat him with sticks, while singing for him to poop them gifts like nougat and mat\u00f3 cheese.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The children then leave the room and the parents place small gifts under the&nbsp;Caga Ti\u00f3&#8217;s blanket, which are then discovered by the children.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What do you think of getting a caganer in Barcelona?<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>What figurine would be your pick?<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-left \"\n    data-id=\"60862\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 142.5px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <strong class=\"kksr-score\">4.9<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\/<\/span>\n        <strong>5<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">(<\/span>\n        <strong class=\"kksr-count\">116<\/strong>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">\n            votes        <\/span>\n        <span class=\"kksr-muted\">)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Walking in the streets of Barcelona, particularly those that have souvenir shops, you may have already stumbled upon a very&nbsp;unusual figure that made you stop, step back and take a second look: with his pants down and buttocks exposed, a man squats happily over his recently produced poop. &nbsp; It may surprise you to learn [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":85798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4348],"tags":[7240,212,3324,7239],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60862"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60862"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60862\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106550,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60862\/revisions\/106550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}