Caganer

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Caganer in a Christmas crib

A caganer ([ kəɣəˈne ], Catalan for shit ) is an idiosyncratic nativity figure from the Catalan culture . It represents a person with his pants down, relieving himself around the birth of Jesus.

The origin of this tradition is believed to be in the 17th century . Originally the caganer is a figure in typical clothes of Catalan peasants with a sash and red cap ( barretina ). Today the figure also represents popular personalities such as politicians or athletes more often.

Usually the caganer is positioned inconspicuously and away from the stable with the Holy Family. The reason for including a figure who is obviously emptying its bowels in a “sacred” scene is not known. It is believed, however, that the male with the pants down is a symbol of the cycle of nature. It fertilizes the earth and lets expect a good harvest for the coming year. In addition, the Caganer is a symbol of a healthy and balanced body. Before a good meal, the following somewhat coarse saying is therefore quite common in a familiar environment: “ Menja bé, caga fort i no tinguis por a la mort! “ ('Eat well, shit hard and don't be afraid of death!').

Even the Spanish Catholic Church accepts the presence of the Caganer at the birth of Jesus as a good luck charm.

In December 2017, the newspaper " La Vanguardia " reported that the disempowered Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont was the most popular representation of all "cagans".

Amazingly, the caganer is not the only Christmas figure that has to "empty" itself in Catalonia: in recent years a urinating counterpart, the "pixaner", has developed.

Another tradition is the " caga tió ", an old tree trunk that the children rhythmically knock on on Christmas Eve . The "Tió" rewards the blows and the songs of the children by "giving out" sweets and gifts (in Catalan the much more crude " cagar - shit" is used).

  • Caganers in a sales display

  • and in a clear position

Web links

Commons : Caganer  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ tagesschau.de: Pictures of the day. Retrieved December 15, 2017 (German).