Posted on 12/23/2011 10:52:35 AM PST by DogwoodSouth
You gotta love off-the-wall holiday traditions. The Swedes have their day-long Donald Duck TV show marathon on Christmas Eve (no, seriously) and the Germans and Austrians have the Krampus. But one of the most unique just has to be el caganer of the traditional Spanish nativity scene.
"Merry Christmas! Sh*tter was full!" What is the caganer you might ask? Well, quite literally, it is a person... ummm... (how can I put this delicately? - Oh good, my nine-year-old son looking over my shoulder as I type this helped me out: "Just put it's a guy taking a poo.").
Fine then. It is a guy taking a poo. There ya go.
Yep, really. Merry Christmas, huh?
No Spanish creche is considered complete without the caganer. They say it first appeared in the Catalan region of Spain in the 17th century. There, the creche traditionally depicts a miniature of many buildings in Bethlehem (not just the stable/cave). There are also many villagers depicted going about their day-to-day activities (washings clothes in a stream, selling goods in a market, etc.) And somewhere, tucked away in the bustle, usually hidden discreetly, is the caganer, pants down and doing his business.
(Excerpt) Read more at southernfriedcatholicism.com ...
Pretty crazy tradition IMHO. You can find all kinds of well-known (celebrity) caganer. Of course this leaves the door wide open for someone to find a picture of the Obama one and post it on here. Ha ha...
Pretty disgusting and disrespectful, IMO.
“Of course this leaves the door wide open for someone to find a picture of the Obama one and post it on here. Ha ha...”
Ask and ye shall receive:
http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/2008/11/barack-obama-ca.html
Lovely? Heh.
I find it endearing, but then I’m a fraternity alum. We’re amused by all things lavatorial.
In Norway they have a “Spookenliten” a ghost image with a candle—they light on Christmas Eve and tell ghost stories.
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