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What is The Caga Tió traditión?
The Caga Tió is a more or less tall trunk with round eyes and a big smile. He wears a “baretina” on his head, the typical Catalan red woolen cap with a black line at the base.
The very nice little trunk is one of the traditions most awaited by children as Christmas approaches. For what ? Because he gives gifts to the little ones! To be more precise (and less glamorous), he defecates presents. Indeed, popular tradition has it that the cherubim, under the tender gaze of the parents, strike the wooden trunk with sticks. Before Christmas Eve, there is therefore the famous “cagada del Tió” (which we will not translate as propriety). While they mistreat this poor little trunk which continues to smile at them, the children sing in unison:
The Caga Tió is usually located in the kitchen from December 8 (Immaculate Conception Day). A plate containing oranges or biscuits is placed in front of him. You have to take good care of the Caga Tió and spoil it, otherwise it will not give many gifts.
The Tió de Nadal is a tradition of rural origin that appeared in Catalonia and Aragon. It is originally a trunk that burns in the hearth to warm up the cold atmosphere of Christmas. The ashes were then scattered in the fields.
Gradually, the tradition evolved into the children's party we know today. The trunk was notably humanized by its two round eyes, its smiling mouth and the barretina. Although Santa Claus is more and more present in Catalonia, the Caga Tió remains an essential element of a Nadal expected by everyone, young and old alike.
The Caga tío even has its own village. The medieval town of Mura, in the Catalan hinterland, celebrates it every December with great success. The families of the region flock to discover tíos disguised in a thousand ways and scattered in the streets, in front of the houses of the accomplished inhabitants.
The little ones can make their own snowman there and attend puppet shows… caga tios of course. "On weekends, there are always traffic jams to get to the village, it's difficult to park, you have to wait hours to get a place in a restaurant, but the children are so delighted! says Mireia Caballero, author of a blog for Catalan mothers.
If it is the emblem of the season in Catalonia and much more appreciated than Santa Claus, the Caga tío has not dethroned another great Spanish tradition: the Three Kings.
Celebrated on January 6 throughout the peninsula, they are the ones who will place the most beautiful gifts at the foot of the Christmas tree.
But for the Caga tío to defecate as many presents as possible, the children must carefully feed it throughout the month of December. So every evening when he comes home from school, Pol, 3, hastens to give him a small plate of tangerines. A gesture that his father, Ernest, already accomplished when he was a child. "At the time, we also made the log as a family, it marked the start of the holiday season", recalls the 30-year-old
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