The Pooping Log and Other Strange Christmas Customs

Posted by Alex in Everything Else on December 12, 2008 at 12:54 pm


Our very own Miss Cellania wrote a really neat article for mental_floss about 8 truly strange Christmas customs. This one to the left is "Caga Tió" or the "pooping log.":

The Catalan custom is still celebrated in Spain, where you can buy your own el Caga Tió. The log is hollowed out, with legs and a face added. You must “feed” him every day beginning on December 8th. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, put him in the fireplace and beat him with sticks until he poops out small candies, fruits, and nuts. When he is through, the final object dropped is a salt herring, a garlic bulb, or an onion. Oh yeah, there is a traditional song the family can sing to encourage the process.

poop log,
poop turrón,
hazelnuts and cottage cheese,
if you don’t poop well,
I’ll hit you with a stick,
poop log!

Link


Previous post
this post? Please Email this               
Next post

Tags: , ,


FUN PRODUCTS FROM THE NEATORAMA SHOP:


COMMENT

13 comments to "The Pooping Log and Other Strange Christmas Customs"

  1. Gauldar
    December 12th, 2008 at 1:41 pm

    I would also like to add that the Catalonian's also have a tradition of placing a figure like Santa Clause squatting down taking a dump beside baby Jesus in their nativity scenes. They also have a saying which translates into "Eat well; shit hard"!

  2. Rocky Rook
    December 12th, 2008 at 1:45 pm

    I remember seeing this on a Teletubby video my kids were watching. I thought it was the strangest tradition. No wonder kids love bathroom jokes with traditions like this!

  3. Gauldar
    December 12th, 2008 at 2:00 pm

    Seems my last comment was removed, I guess I could have used the word "poop" instead. I wanted to add that the Catalonian's had a saying which translates to "Eat well; Poop hard"!

  4. nate
    December 12th, 2008 at 2:55 pm

    Best tradition ever. I wonder if this is related to the Pinata at all.

  5. Bodgetastic
    December 12th, 2008 at 3:14 pm

    For more pooping log goodness, there's also this article from BoingBoing circa 2004.

    http://www.boingboing.net/2004/12/12/have-a-coprophilic-c.html

  6. Gail Pink
    December 12th, 2008 at 3:46 pm

    Too strange not to be true!

  7. violet
    December 12th, 2008 at 6:33 pm

    redundant?

  8. liphttam1
    December 12th, 2008 at 7:05 pm

    your gonna poop and then were gonna burn YOU!!

  9. Evilbeagle
    December 12th, 2008 at 8:31 pm

    I want a pooping figurine to put in the corner somewhere in the house all year.

  10. raina_c
    December 12th, 2008 at 11:41 pm

    I think it's disgusting. I'm not a fan of bathroom humor at all.

  11. Gauldar
    December 12th, 2008 at 11:55 pm

    Raina_c, it's not about bathroom humor. These are actually deeply set cultural traditions in Catalan. I must admit that I admire the parallels they have with Christianity and the act of taking a dump.

  12. Evilbeagle
    December 13th, 2008 at 6:42 am

    I am from a Cuban/Spanish family, and you would be surprised how many of our curse words and other imagery involve poop. It doesn't bother me one bit.

  13. fakinasjol
    December 13th, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    Well, I am Spanish myself and it's the first time I heard such a thing. I am perfectly familiar with the craping figurine that you place along with the nativity, shepherds, sheep, the three Wise Men, angels, houses, and the silver foil river, but it's the first time I hear about this song the gift-inducing S&M ritual. Weird stuff...


PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT

Neatorama Comment Policy
You don't have to register or login to comment, but it's easier if you do so. Comments aren't censored, but those that are abusive or off-topic may be edited or deleted.


Stay updated on the comments with Comment RSS