Catalan Christmas traditions
Do you want to spend your Christmas holidays in Catalonia?
Great choice! This decision will allow you to know other aspects of the region that will surprise you and enchant you.
When we talk about traditions, we are not only talking about cultural customs, but also gastronomy, parties, activities and I will now tell you the most important, so you won’t be too surprised once you get here.
Perhaps the most striking is the figure of “uncle Caga” – a trunk or a thick tree branch with a face, eyes and sometimes even arms. Food is given to this trunk every day (always before Christmas) and is covered with a blanket so, according to the elders, it does not get cold. When comes the Christmas Eve, the youngests of the house, who fed the branch (uncle caga), meet with the whole family and sing traditional Catalan songs while beating it with a stick so that “the uncle caga” expels the gifts. The food that was given the previous days turned into presents.
Another Catalan Christmas tradition is the crib figurine called the “caganer”. This ceramic figurine, or in its plastic variant more recently has become famous around the world for its position and its impudence. At its origins, he was a farmer who defecated on his land to give fertilizer and prosperity to the land. But over time, he has become a popular and modern figure representing every year the most popular characters, whether politicians, music singers or footballers. If you become famous, one day you will be represented by a caganer figurine.
Another important fact is that in Catalonia, Christmas is celebrated on 25 and 26 March, Sant Esteve day. These two days are therefore holidays. But as the customs are mixed and enriched by most of the inhabitants, Christmas is celebrated on 3 days, on the 24th for Christmas Eve, on the 25th and 26th for lunch, thus giving a very long Christmas, full of food, family and friends.
So, if you are in Catalonia during the Christmas holidays or a few days before the holidays, you will have the chance to see these Catalan Christmas traditions that will surprise you and that you can take home, either in physical form a souvenirs or as memories..
