Caga Tió (A Catalan Christmas tradition)
Here in Catalonia, there is a very specific Christmas tradition that is not in use in the rest of Spain – the Tió de Nadal (Christmas log) or Caga tió (literally: poop log). A tree trunk standing on four legs has a smiling face painted on it and a hat put on.Then he is covered with a blanket so that he does not freeze – oh, how sweet! From December 08 on, he is now lovingly “fed” with fruit by the Catalan children. That sounds sweet and innocent at first glance, doesn’t it?. On Christmas Eve, however, the children beat him with wooden sticks while singing a certain Catalan song. Afterward, the parents pull candy from under the blanket that the poor wooden block “excreted” during its beating attack. – What a lovely Christmas tradition.