Tío de Nadal is another Catalan tradition also found in homes in Aragon and Valencia and just like the caganer it brings together Christmas and the act of defecation and no-one really knows why. Tradition dictates that children must ‘feed’ scraps to the log, also known as Caga Tío (pooping log) each night in the run up to Christmas and cover him with a blanket to protect him from the cold. Do this successfully and on Christmas Eve the log will reward its carers by pooping out gifts, traditionally Turron, dried figs and nuts, but in modern times anything from sweets to toys. He won’t do this though, until beaten with a stick and ordered to defecate with a song. The blanket covering his rear end is removed and what lies beneath are gifts to be enjoyed by everyone in the household.

Source: The Local December 04, 2019 09:22 UTC