With one of the most anticipated holidays of the year rapidly approaching, we wanted to provide a breakdown of Christmas traditions here in Barcelona, as well as Catalunya at large. No different than the rest of the world, where Christmas is universally recognized as one of the year’s biggest holiday seasons, Catalunya has some distinctive traditions.

December 8^th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, is recognized as the start of the season, when decorations are put up. The nativity scene is a common decoration, both in houses and in public areas. One part of nativity scenes unique to Catalunya is a small figure known as the Caganer. The Caganer is a small figure with its pants around the ankles, slightly bent over in the act of defecation. With many explanations for its presence in the nativity scene, it is most likely a tribute to Catalan humor. In recent years, famous political figures have been immortalized in their representation as Caganers, such as the newest addition, Barack Obama.

In the same vein, another prominent Catalan Christmas tradition is the Caga Tió, a log figure painted with a smiley face that poops out presents. During the weeks leading up to Christmas day, children feed the log sweets, much akin to the tradition of leaving cookies out for Santa Claus. The log grows fat throughout the season, as presents are stuffed inside of it. At the culmination on Christmas day, children hit the log which then yields the presents that were stored inside. These presents are generally the smaller, family presents, while the larger ones are brought by the Three Wise Men on January 6^th, the last day of the Christmas season.

Naturally, the next thought is likely to be, Where can I get these Christmas figures? One of the oldest outdoor markets in Spain is located right outside of the Barcelona Cathedral, known as the Fira de Santa Llucia, where all these figures are available for purchase.

Make sure to visit us at ComeToBarcelona to reserve your apartment early for the Christmas season!