El caganer: one of those traditions...

Today at work one colleague walk to me and asked me a question. "Listen, my kids have been studying Christmas traditions around the world. Is it true that you put a pooping guy in the Nativity scene (Joulu seimi)?". Far from being puzzled I just smiled and said, "yes, of course".

Hmmm... once said, requires some explanation. "A pooping guy" sounds funny but it's a pretty accurate translation from "el caganer"; I still prefer the Finnish "kakkaaja" though. What's that about all then?

The traditional Catalan "pessebre" (Joulu seimi in Finnish) contains Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus. In addition they usually have behind them a mule and a cow. Then there are the three wise men bringing gold, incense and myrrh. I've always seen just a box, I don't think anybody knows what myrrh is. Then we have few shepherds, and few sheep with them. The more serious people may use some natural stones and moss ("molsa" in Catalan and "sammal" in Finnish) to decorate it. The most spectacular ones will contain even a river with running water!

The basics: Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.

The three wise men on their way!

And now we get to business. It has been a long trip for those shepherds, hasn't it! Walking in the night to see the baby Jesus, and on the way... well, there's no more elegant way to do it that behind the bushes. And here comes the caganer! He's just a poor dude caught in the middle of business.

El caganer, kakkaaja

Though I'll accept few yäk and uuuu, that's just another tradition, and as I posted earlier, keep your traditions! And just for fun, I'd recommend you checking google images for caganer, you'll find few interesting alternatives!!

Bones festes! Hyvää Joulua!


PS: keep your traditions, as long as they don't hurt people or animals... like throwing a donkey down a bell tower (we used to do it but we stopped!), or bull fighting (which some #@!?&s consider and art...)