For at least the past two centuries, the traditional nativity scene in Catalonia includes all the usual suspects, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds gathered around the baby Jesus in his manger have been joined by a character called a caganer. There’s no delicate way of putting this, so the most polite translation is “the defecator”.
In Catalonia, as well as in the rest of Spain and in most of Italy and Southern France, traditional Christmas decorations often consist of a large model of the city of Bethlehem, similar to the Nativity scenes we are used to seeing here, but including the entire city rather than just the typical manger scene.
The caganer is a particular and highly popular feature of modern Catalan nativity scenes. It is believed to have entered the nativity scene by the late 17th or early 18th century and has since been considered an essential piece and the most popular figure of the nativity scene. It can also be found in other parts of southwestern Europe, including Murcia, the region just south of Valencia in Spain, Naples, and Portugal.
It’s now turned into big business with the inevitable celebrity spin-off. Christmas markets sell the likes of politicians, soccer players, foreign presidents, rock stars, and royalty. Though not part of the nativity scene, there is a sculpture of a caganer hidden inside the cathedral of Ciudad Rodrigo, Province of Salamanca.
The caganer is never in the front of the nativity scene. That would be a lack of respect. He is always hidden in a corner, under a bridge or behind a tree, typically nowhere near the manger scene. A tradition in Catalonia is to have children find the hidden figure.
