La Sagrada Familia

Navidad

Toni with his new shirt
Christmas day, the table...

We had a lovely Christmas period, although tinged with sadness as it was the first without Toni's mum. On the night of the 24th, we went to his brothers house for dinner. There is a tradition in Catalan called Caga tio, which is basically where the children hit a piece of wood with a stick so that it 'poos' presents. Let me explain. A week before Christmas, a little piece of wood with a face and a christmas hat on, is put under the tree and covered with a blanket. During the week the children leave it bowls of fruit peel to eat. The idea being that when you hit it, it will have diorrahea and 'poo' more presents for you. The children are forbidden to look under the blanket before Christmas and they are told that if they do so there will be no presents. Then on the night of the 24th, the children (mainly toddlers and youngsters it doesnt really work for older kids) have to sing a little tune, and then hit the Caga tio with a stick, after that they look under the blanket and they find a small present. While the child is opening the present, or looking away, another present is placed under the blanket and the same things happens again. It was really nice watching Toni's nephew Marc doing this. He is only two so he was pretty suprised after each present appeared.