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A Caganer is a curious little statue that seems to be unique to Catalonia, a region of Spain.
In their Nativity scenes, the Catalonians have added an extra character that is not found in the mangers of any other culture. In addition to Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Shepherds and company, the Catalonians have the character known as the Caganer. This extra little character is often tucked away in some corner of the scene where he is not easily noticed. There is a good reason for his obscure position in the display, for "caganer" translates from Catalan to English as "defecator", and that is exactly what this little statue is doing — defecating.
The reasons for placing a man who is in the act of excreting solid waste from his posterior in a scene which is widely considered holy are as follows:
- The Caganer, by creating feces, is fertilizing the Earth. Thus, he is considered a symbol of prosperity and luck for the coming year.
- Some Catalonians consider it to be funny.
The exact origin of the Caganer has been lost to living memory. Apparently no one is sure who exactly was the first person to include a defecating man in the scene of the first Christmas.
The Catalonians have modified this tradition somewhat in modern times. Originally, the Caganer was portrayed as a peasant wearing a traditional hat called a barratina--red hat stocking hat with a black band. Caganers are easiest to find before Christmas in holiday markets, like the one in front of the Barcelona Cathedral, which has tables and tables of caganers. In addition to the traditional caganer design, you can easily find other characters assuming the caganer position, such as nuns, devils, celebrities, historical figures, politicians, and even Spanish Royalty.
The caganer is not the only Catalan character involving the concept of defication. Another Christmas tradition, The , which also makes extensive use of the image of human waste production. Other mentions of feces and defication are common in Catalan folklore. One popular Catalan phrase before eating says "menja bé, caga fort!" (Eat well, shit forcefully!)