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Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura.

It's Christmas Eve, which means children across Spain's Catalan region are gathering in their homes for the traditional whacking of the festive shit log.

Tió de Nadal (Christmas log), a hollow log with stick legs, a smiley face, and a floppy red hat, is a yule branch with a scatological spin. (Its other name is Caga Tió, or "shit log," for reasons that will shortly become apparent.)

On December 8 each year - the Feast of the Immaculate Conception - families bring out the happy log. Every night until December 24, children are tasked with "feeding" the log by offering him nuts, dried fruit, and water. Kids must also cover Tió de Nadal with a blanket to ensure he stays warm and comfortable.

On Christmas Eve, it is time for the little shit log to shine. Children gather around the red-hatted branch and beat him with sticks while singing the traditional Tió de Nadal song:

Shit log,
Shit nougats,
Hazelnuts and mató cheese,
If you don't shit well,
I'll hit you with a stick,
Shit log!

Then comes the miracle: the kids look under Tió de Nadal's blanket and discover that the dear log has pooped out a pile of candies and presents. (The end of the defecation session is signaled by the presence of a stinky herring.) When everyone has collected their gifts from Tió de Nadal, the family burns him for warmth.

The poop log is not Catalonia's only defecation-based festive tradition. Take a close look at any nativity scene in the area and you'll spot Caganer, a porcelain man copping a squat in the presence of Mary, Joseph, and the Three Wise Men. Caganer is not meant to be sacreligious - his fertilization of the holy ground heralds a prosperous harvest in the new year.

Visit Atlas Obscura for more on Tió de Nadal.

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It's Christmas Eve. Have You Fed Your Poop Log?

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Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura. It's Christmas Eve, which means children across Spain's Catalan region are gathering in their homes for the traditional whacking of the festive shit log.

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[Culture] Christmas Cultures Series III - Christmas in Catalonia

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Two updates in one day! For Part III, we have Queralt from Catalonia! They have really interesting traditions and food! Let's appreciate the differences in the countries celebrating the same holiday! Special thanks to Queralt! Find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/theforkingtomatoes If you like this video, remember to subscribe to us so you get updated when we release our upcoming videos!

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11 Facts about Christmas traditions in Catalonia

. Understand the basics

When is the main celebration: 24th/25th December

Main dish: sopa de galets (soup), torró (turon/nougat)

Main decorations: nativity scene ( pessebre), Christmas tree

Who brings the presents: Tió de Nadal, The Three Wise Men (els Reis Mags)

How to say "Merry Christmas": Bon Nadal

If you have ever been to Catalonia, you probably know that Catalan people are very proud of their cultural heritage and that's not without reason. They have plenty of interesting traditions that are not found anywhere else in the world. Since we've been living in Barcelona for over 3 years and it has become our third home (after our home countries), we'd like to show you some really interesting traditions celebrated during the Christmas period.

Christmas Traditions in Catalonia

1. The most traditional (dating back to the 4th century) Christmas decoration in Catalonia is the nativity scene ( pessebre). Families prepare it at the beginning of December or right before Christmas, often painting the figurines themselves. There are plenty of shops and market stalls in Barcelona where you can find all the elements you might need to build a praiseworthy nativity scene. The figurine of Baby Jesus is put in his crib on Christmas Eve.

2. You won't find a Christmas tree in every Catalan house.
Christmas tree on Placa Jaume, Barcelona
3. You might be surprised to learn that in Catalonia it's not Santa Claus, Father Christmas or Baby Jesus who bring presents, but a cheeky log wearing a traditional Catalan hat, which you have to hit with a stick in order to make it "drop" you some gifts. It's called ("Christmas Log") but its popular nickname is " Caga Tió" ("Shitting Log").

Before the main Christmas celebrations Tió is brought home, fed and covered with a warm blanket. On Christmas Day or Christmas Eve (depending on the household) children are supposed to leave the room and pray for Tió to brings them some gifts (while their parents use this perfect opportunity to put something underneath the blanket). When the kids come back, they are supposed to hit it with a stick while singing a traditional song which apparently makes the Tió shit out some presents.

The song goes as follows:

Or alternatively:

4. Another peculiar tradition related with "shitting" is the figurine a caganer - a man with his trousers round his ankles, captured in the act of defecation, which is put together with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in the nativity scene. This tradition dates back to 17th century (the times of exaggerated realism) and symbolises fertility and prosperity in the following year. Nowadays it is popular to decorate your nativity scene with "shitting" figures of celebrities or politicians.

5. On the night of Christmas Eve, the more religious Catalans go to church to celebrate Missa del gall (the midnight mass, which literally means the mass of a cockerel).

6. On Christmas Day Catalan families have their traditional meal. As the first course they usually serve the customary sopa de galets (a meat and vegetable broth with a meatball and huge snail-shaped pasta inside). As the second dish it is common to eat roast veal or chicken. Some families prefer seafood, though. The dessert of choice is usually turrón (nougat), marzipan, accompanied by some muscat or cava.

7. Boxing Day is called Sant Esteve (St. Stephen's Day) in Catalonia . It is customary to visit your relatives and eat cannelloni, which uses the leftovers of the Christmas dinner meat. For dessert they would normally have some more turrón and wafers ( neules). If you are a kid, you are likely to recite a typical Boxing Day poem in front of your relatives.

"Sóc petitet així
no conec ningú
només el papa, la mama,
les neules i els torrons.
I aquí tinc una butxaqueta
per ficar-hi calerons!!!"
I'm so tiny
I do not know anyone
only daddy, mummy,
wafers and nougats.
And here I have a little pocket
to put money in there!!!

8. On 28th December Catalans and the Spanish celebrate the Massacre of the Innocents ( dia dels Sants Innocent), which in their culture is the equivalent of the April's Fool Day. On that day people play jokes and pranks on others, you are likely to hear fake news on TV and it's common to stick paper dolls on passer-bys' backs, which is known as llufa.

Llufa - photo by Wikipedia

9. On the New Year's Eve, people in Catalonia as in the rest of Spain eat 12 grapes as the clock-towers strike their bells 12 times before midnight.

10. In Catalan tradition Christmas period continues until the Epiphany (6th January). On that day Catalan families gather around the table and eat the traditional tortell de Reis (King's cake) an o-shaped pastry which contains two hidden surprises: a dried bean, and a tiny figurine of one of the three kings. The person who finds the king in their cut of cake, gets to wear the paper crown. The person who finds the dried bean is considered unlucky and has to pay for the tortell.

Tortell - the King's Cake - photo by ifood.tv

11. It is also on that day ( El dia de Reis, the Day of the Kings) when the Three Wise Men visit Catalan houses and leave the abundant Christmas gifts for children. In this respect the Epiphany is celebrated even more than Christmas Day.
Massive thanks to all my students who helped me gather all the traditions!
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11 Facts about Christmas traditions in Catalonia

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When is the main celebration: 24th/25th December Main dish: sopa de galets (soup), torró (turon/nougat) Main decorations: nativity scene ( pessebre), Christmas tree Who brings the presents: Tió de Nadal, The Three Wise Men (els Reis Mags) How to say "Merry Christmas": Bon Nadal If you have ever been to Catalonia, you probably know that Catalan people are very proud of their cultural heritage and that's not without reason.

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No doubt we are all familiar with the obligatory baby Jesus in the manger scene rolled out every Christmas, but the early 18th-century inhabitants of Catalonia, Italy, and certain areas of Southern France started a different tradition that lives on to this day.

Unlike the English-speaking version of the Nativity scene, Catalonians at Christmas time actually build a large model of the city of Bethlehem. The caganer, whose origins have been lost in time, is a particular and highly popular feature of these modern interpretations.

Often tucked away into a small corner of the nativity scene, one can find a lone figure caught in the act of defecation. There are more than a handful of guesses as to how and why this tradition started ranging from the figure representing the equality of all people (everyone poops!) or that is symbolizes the idea that God will manifest himself when he is ready, without regard whether humans are ready for him. Still others believe it is a tradition grown from comic relief.

Whatever your thoughts, if you find yourself traveling in the region around Christmas time it's highly encouraged to take a second look at the scaled down Bethlehem and see if you can find their little "caganer."

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No doubt we are all familiar with the obligatory baby Jesus in the manger scene rolled out every Christmas, but the early 18th-century inhabitants of Catalonia, Italy, and certain areas of Southern France started a different tradition that lives on to this day.

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Why do they have a pooping log that gives presents? Why is there nativity set a guy pooping?

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If you are looking for some out-of-the-box Christmas traditions, don't look further. Christmas in Barcelona is all about the weird and the bizarre.
Brace yourselves, poo is king here!
Barcelona is a city bustling with things to do and see. And if there is a place on this planet proud of their own traditions is Catalonia. This region is buzzing with traditions all year-round such as the sardana dance and a personal favorite, the impressive human castles named castellers.

Same happens during Christmas, when there are some strong and... weird Christmas traditions going on. Living in Barcelona, I had all the time in the world to look at details I started finding unusual things. I was amazed how it can be so scatological (here's a word I thought I would never in this blog).

Yes, you've heard right, Catalan Christmas is also a celebration of poo.
So let's talk about poo!

The poop madness

First of all, the question is WHY? Why this obsession of the Catalans with poo? Well, Catalans were always extremely nature-driven. The work of Gaudí is a celebration of nature in the first place.

If you think about it, there is nothing more natural and healthy than a series of successful intestinal movements, right? Also, poop has been vastly used for fertilization of fields in agriculture which metaphorically suggests healthiness and life.

Menja bé, caga fort i no tinguis por a la mort!
Eat well, poop a lot and don't be afraid of death!

Popular Catalan saying

With poo so enrooted in Catalan culture, the celebration of feces and the glorification of a such a basic human necessity were only natural to be present in Christmas season in the whole Catalonia. It usually takes the form of two playful figures: the caga tió and the .

CAGA TIÓ| THE POOPING LOG

The Caga Tió or Tió de Nadal is a smiley little hollow wooden block, with two front sticks acting as legs and is the favourite christmassy tradition in Barcelona of children. The friendly caga tió arrives Catalan homes in the beginning of December, and children are supposed to take care of him every single day. This includes watering him, leaving small pieces of candy and even cover him with a blanket for the cold nights.

Now it's how it gets weirder. The children will be rewarded on Christmas Day, when they are supposed to beat the hell out of him with sticks while they sing a song:

Caga tió, caga torró, avellanes i mató, si no cagues bé, et daré un cop de bastó. Caga tió!

Which literally translated would be something like:

Poop log, poop turrón, hazelnuts and cottage cheese, if you don't poop well, I'll hit you with a stick. Poop log!

WTF.

An adult supervises over the ritual and pulls out the "poop" from under the blanket which mainly consists of sweets and turrón (nougat). The better the little log had been taken care of, the more gifts and candy it will defecate. In the end, the remains of the ever-smiling Caga Tio may even be burned in the fireplace to keep the whole family warm.

Even more WTF.

I'm not sure I understand the moral of this story but hey, I'm all about wtf traditions. All I know is that a whole variety of tios can be found virtually in any market or little shop in Barcelona these days, from the tiny ones from the size of your thumbnail until huge ones found in squares for public "stick beating".

Spending Christmas in Barcelona? Don't wait more to book your bed!

CAGANER - THE POOPING MAN

Another bizarre Christmas tradition is the Caganer: a figure depicting a man with a red hat pooping in the squatting position, that also can range from the tiny to the huge - the biggest caganer of the world was 6-meter high!. In any case, it leaves little to the imagination, I mean it is literally a dude pooping. And most of the times, a pile of feces is actually depicted on the figure.

The best of all is caganers are usually put right in the middle of the Nativity scene as a sign of good luck. It was really unexpected to see one right next to the Three Kings!

At first I thought these would only come as one figurine - a farmer (?) boy in white clothes and red hat - so I was amazed to find out the caganers have evolved to a form of social and political and social satyr and can embody virtually anyone:

World leaders: Barack Obama, Ghandi or the Pope (!)

The Royals: Queen Letizia, Queen Elizabeth or Prince Charles

Sport Idols: Leonel Messi, Tiger Woods or Cristiano Ronaldo

... and so many others!

Even though they can perceived as vulgar and gross, caganers are mainly a symbol of humanity's equality. The premise is there are no untouchables: everyone poops regardless of their power or social status.

Caganers are most frequent in Barcelona during holiday season, specially in the Christmas markets held throughout the city. I have been a few times to Fira de Santa Lucia and the caganer stalls are definitely the busiest with a lot of people pointing, laughing and taking photos of these unique figures.

Nevertheless, they can now be found all-year round and have become a classy touristic souvenir of Barcelona. You can also buy them online!

Embracing the Bizarre Christmas in Barcelona

One thing is for sure: Christmas in Barcelona is not the regular Christmas we are all used to. Far from the opulent and consumer-driven London during Christmas time or the opulent Christmas markets in Hamburg, it has got a more local feeling to it and it's deeply tradition-oriented.

In Portugal, we have a saying that translated would be something like: First, we strange it, but after we embrace it. It was exactly what happened to me with caganers and caga tios in Barcelona. After an initial period full of WTF moments, I don't get astonished by these unorthodox figurines anymore.

I even thought of bringing one to my mother's nativity scene, but that was probably too much. On the other hand, it would definitely add a dash of excitement to our Christmas though. Maybe next year.

Still, writing all this made me want to go to the toilet. Be right back!

BARCELONA MINI TRAVEL GUIDE

How to get to Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the best connected cities in Europe. You can easily come by car from major cities like Madrid and Paris, by air from virtually any major european airport in Europe or even by ferry/cruise in the Mediterranean.

Where to stay in Barcelona

I would skip La Rambla area completely as everything's overpriced there. To live Barcelona more like a local, I'd go for Sant Antoni. El Poblenou is also great if you want to prioritise beach.

To make things easier, I've already pre-selected a list of the best hotels in Barcelona. These only include rating of 8 or more, with wifi and centrally-located. Just pick your favorite!

What you MUST do in Barcelona

No, it's not eating paella (southern/Valencian dish) nor drinking Sangria (you'll probably end up drinking some weird mix hardly deserving of that name). The best piece of advice I can give is to just embrace the laid-back lifestyle of Barcelona. Do a picnic in Ciutadella Park. Have a drink watching the sunset in a viewpoint somewhere. Relax on the beach.

Spending Christmas in Barcelona? Don't wait more to book your bed!

Are there any bizarre Christmas traditions where you live? I would love to hear them! And by the way, Merry Christmas to you all, with a lot of healthy pooping!

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How Christmas in Barcelona Is Full of Bizarre Traditions

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If you are looking for some out-of-the-box Christmas traditions, don't look further. Christmas in Barcelona is all about the weird and the bizarre. Brace yourselves, poo is king here! Barcelona is a city bustling with things to do and see. And if there is a place on this planet proud of their own traditions is Catalonia.

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Sure, putting a Christmas tree in your house seems pretty arbitrary considering the true religious context of the holiday. But beating a smiling, hollowed-out Christmas log until it "defecates" in your fireplace takes the celebration in Catalonia to a whole new level.

In Catalan, Tió de Nadal is roughly translated to Christmas Log and is a widespread tradition in many parts of Spain. According to Catalan mythology, the Christmas Log brings small presents on Christmas (big presents come from the Three Wise Men) in the same way presents are placed under Christmas trees in United States. Originally, the Tió de Nadal was just a piece of dead wood, but now the log is often given a face with an attached nose and two little legs, along with a little red hat similar to a barretina.

If it stopped right there, it wouldn't be that strange. Just another present-delivering vehicle adopted by a different culture. But it doesn't stop there, that's only the beginning. It all starts on the Day of the Immaculate Conception, December 8. Tradition states that households begin to "feed" the log every night starting then. The log is also usually given a small blanket during this time to keep it warm during the chilly weeks before Christmas.

After weeks of feeding, it is finally Christmas Eve and the log is placed in the fireplace, little face and beret staring up from the ground. Members of the house then take turns bashing the little log person with a stick and commanding it to defecate out presents, candies and wafers and not to defecate stinky herring. This is where the tradition got its other name, Caga tió, or shit log.

The bashing continues while traditional songs about the log are sung. Christmas is then celebrated to the delight of everyone in the house as they reach below the tió's blanket to pull out their "gifts" of defecated candy and presents.

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Tió de Nadal: The Christmas Log That Poops Presents

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Sure, putting a Christmas tree in your house seems pretty arbitrary considering the true religious context of the holiday. But beating a smiling, hollowed-out Christmas log until it "defecates" in your fireplace takes the celebration in Catalonia to a whole new level.

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Do you want to make your children happy? Spend the Christmas holidays with us and let them live a unique experience: the arrival of the Three Wise Men. In Spain it is Melchoir, Caspar and Balthazar, who bring Christmas presents to children who have been good throughout the year. Why not give your family the chance to enjoy this beautiful tradition, wrapped up in excitement and magic. Here Christmas lasts until 6 January for the little ones!

In Spain, the tradition of gift giving at Christmas is particularly special for children. They are the ones who await most eagerly the arrival of the Three Wise Men, who come in through the windows house by house, sharing out presents in just one night. They are not the only ones to have a good time, however. Grown-ups cannot help becoming infected by their happiness during the preparations for the big day: 6 January. Sharing the exciting wait with them is a gift of love and emotion. This Christmas tradition fills the little ones' days with unforgettable magic.

The Letter

First of all, children have to write their letter to the Three Wise Men, saying which presents they would like them to bring. After this comes one of the favourite moments: giving the letter in. They can either give the letter to the Wise Men personally when they arrive "officially" on 5 January, or to the emissaries and royal postmen to be found in the centre of all Spanish towns a few days before. They will be asked if they have been good at school and at home, because naughty children get left coal instead of presents. Although, in truth, it is a "sweet" punishment because the coal is made of sugar.

Spectacular parades

When the long-awaited day finally arrives, the whole family come out onto the street to receive the Wise Men. They arrive with a traditional parade, riding through the streets on their camels, loaded with presents and accompanied by royal pages who throw sweets and goodies to the children. One by one, the delightful floats pass by, decorated with bright colours and inspired in popular children's characters. The little ones will love them. All the while, a band brings joy to the celebration with Christmas songs and carols. The spectacle of joy, light and colour, combined with the smiles of the children, make for a feeling of complete happiness.

There are parades celebrated all over Spain on this day. Each has its own particular style, depending on where you are. In Barcelona, for example, the Three Wise Men arrive by sea, while in the village of Alarilla, in Guadalajara, they are daring enough to arrive by hang-glider and paraglider. Or why not see the parade in Alcoi, Alicante, the oldest in Spain?

Three Kings' Night

After the parade, children go to bed early but excited, to wait for Melchoir, Caspar and Balthazar to come in through the window and leave presents in their shoes. First they should put water and bread on the windowsill for the camels to eat and drink while the Wise Men do their work. Come and experience Christmas in Spain and discover this magical tradition that will fill your children with joy. Let them get carried away by all the moments of joy, surprise and tender happiness to be found in our country at this festive time. Now is your chance. Make the most of it.

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The magical wait for the Three Wise Men- Christmas in Spain. Tourism in Spain. | spain.info in english

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Spend the Christmas holidays with us and let them live a unique experience: the arrival of the Three Wise Men. In Spain it is Melchoir, Caspar and Balthazar, who bring Christmas presents to children who have been good throughout the year. | spain.info in english