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Caga Tió - Catalan Tio de Nadal custom

 

This is quite possibly the strangest custom I've come across in Barcelona, Catalunya. The Catalan people have a Tió de Nadal in their house at Christmas. It is literally just a log. They feed it , then beat it with sticks on Christmas day until it shits presents, singing;

caga tió,
caga torró,
avellanes i mató,
si no cagues bé
et daré un cop de bastó.
caga tió!"

shit log,
shit nougat,
hazelnuts and cottage cheese,
if you don't shit well,
I'll hit you with a stick,
shit log!

and

caga tió,
tió de Nadal,
no caguis arengades,
que són massa salades
caga torrons
que són més bons!"

shit log,
Christmas log
don't shit herrings,
which are too salty,
shit nougat
which is much better!