🇪🇸 Spain (Dec 2025 Postcard)

Our December Postcard is from Barcelona, Spain!

🎄✨If you think you’ve seen it all when it comes to Christmas traditions, Spain – and especially the Catalonia region – is here to surprise you. From log‑beating gift rituals to a pooping figurine hidden in the nativity scene, the holidays here are a joyful mix of Catholic tradition, Mediterranean warmth, and Catalan humor that’s as cheeky as it is charming.

Let’s unwrap the magic.

Across Spain, Christmas is a season of lights, family gatherings, and delicious food. Cities like Barcelona glow with festive markets, roasted chestnuts, and the scent of churros drifting through the air.

But while Spain shares many traditions with the rest of Europe, Catalonia adds its own wonderfully unique flavor – There’s no Santa… but there’s a log!

Yes. A log that poops presents!

Catalonia’s most beloved Christmas character is Tió de Nadal, affectionately known as Caga Tió (“the pooping log”). Children feed him nuts and fruit throughout December, keep him warm with a blanket, and on Christmas Eve… they hit him with sticks while singing songs encouraging him to “poop” presents.

It’s chaotic. It’s adorable. It’s peak Catalan.

This tradition is widely recognized as one of Catalonia’s most iconic Christmas customs.

Nativity scenes (pessebres) are a big deal in Spain, but in Catalonia, they’re practically an art form. Families build elaborate miniature villages complete with rivers, markets, shepherds.

But between the baby Jesus and the wise man you will … El Caganer, a figurine of a man squatting with his pants down taking a poop.

El Caganer, the “little pooper, is a figurine “depicted in the act of defecation” and has been part of Catalan nativity scenes for centuries. He traditionally wears a red Catalan cap (the barretina) and symbolizes good luck, fertility, and the natural cycle of life.

Today, you’ll find Caganers modeled after celebrities, politicians, football stars, and even superheroes – because nothing says “Merry Christmas” like Batman taking a festive squat.

While Catalonia has its quirky characters, the heart of Christmas is still family. Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) is a cozy night of food and togetherness, often featuring:

• Escudella i carn d’olla (a hearty Catalan stew)
• Seafood dishes
• Turrón (almond nougat)
• Cava (Catalan sparkling wine)

Christmas Day is for long lunches, laughter, and lingering around the table until someone finally suggests a walk – or a nap.

🎉 December 26: Sant Esteve – Because One Christmas Day Isn’t Enough

Catalonia celebrates Sant Esteve on December 26th, a holiday dedicated to extended family gatherings and eating cannelloni stuffed with leftover Christmas meat. It’s delicious, practical, and very Catalan.

Spain’s grand finale comes on January 6th, when the Three Kings (Reyes Magos) bring gifts. Barcelona hosts a spectacular parade, complete with floats, dancers, and candy raining from the sky.

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Christmas in Catalonia is warm, whimsical, and wonderfully weird. It’s a celebration filled with humor, tradition, and a whole lot of heart – the perfect blend of Spanish festivity and Catalan creativity.

So as we send our December postcard from Barcelona, we’re raising a glass of cava to the season of joy, generosity, and good‑natured mischief.

Bon Nadal! 🎄✨

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