WEBVTT - Why Is There a Pooping Figure in Catalonian Nativity Sets?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio,

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<v Speaker 1>Hey brain Stuff, Lauren Boglebam. Here as crappy holiday traditions go,

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<v Speaker 1>the Catalonians may have the rest of the world beat.

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<v Speaker 1>That's because this northeastern outpost of Spain has some bathroom

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<v Speaker 1>adjacent Christmas customs that may leave unsuspecting visitors scratching their heads, laughing,

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<v Speaker 1>or both. Without further ado, we present to you the cagonet,

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<v Speaker 1>a statue of a person pooping off in a corner

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<v Speaker 1>of a traditional nativity scene. This is not some recent

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<v Speaker 1>cultural development that signals the downfall of modern society. Rather,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a tradition that dates back at least two centuries.

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<v Speaker 1>In Catalan Romance language from the region of Catalonia, Spain,

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<v Speaker 1>the word caganet translates roughly to crapper, although some sources

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<v Speaker 1>use rougher language. The most popular cagonet features a male

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<v Speaker 1>peasant and a at hat crouched with his buttocks exposed

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<v Speaker 1>and an unmistakable little brown pile at his feet. At

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<v Speaker 1>Christmas time. The caganet is sneakily hidden somewhere within an

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<v Speaker 1>activity scene. A children make a game of trying to

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<v Speaker 1>spot the pooping figure. As he crouches in the shadows,

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<v Speaker 1>and the caganet is never at the front of the

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<v Speaker 1>scene because that would be disrespectful. No one really knows

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<v Speaker 1>what gave rise to this long lived tradition. Because fecal

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<v Speaker 1>matter has been used as a fertilizer for agriculture throughout history,

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<v Speaker 1>some say the statues are a fertility symbol of sorts.

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<v Speaker 1>By plopping a pooper in the midst of the scene,

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<v Speaker 1>perhaps farmers will gain favor with Heaven, find favorable conditions

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<v Speaker 1>for crops, and ultimately wind up with greater yields at

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<v Speaker 1>harvest time. But there are a couple of other theories

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<v Speaker 1>in play. Because the Christian faith states that Jesus literally

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<v Speaker 1>became human in order to save followers from their sins,

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<v Speaker 1>perhaps the pooping statue is a reminder of humanity's common bonds. Furthermore,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe the caganet purposefully portrays a rather undignified private moment

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<v Speaker 1>in conjunction with a Nativity scene to reinforce our shared

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<v Speaker 1>vulnerability in the presence of a higher power. No one

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<v Speaker 1>really knows, but one thing is for sure. Caganets are

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<v Speaker 1>a big business. The caganets turned towards fame, came into

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<v Speaker 1>thousand three, when demand for Catalonian made statues was dropping

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<v Speaker 1>and cheap Chinese imports were cutting into the market. The

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<v Speaker 1>company Elkganet took note that it was an election year

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<v Speaker 1>and made caganets with politicians likenesses. Rather than take offense,

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<v Speaker 1>these politicians gamely embraced the silly mockery and consumers loved it.

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<v Speaker 1>The irreverent caganets became a huge hit, and now the

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<v Speaker 1>company sells tens of thousands of the items every year.

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<v Speaker 1>Since then, the artists who make these figurines have been

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<v Speaker 1>turning famous people like politicians and celebrities into pooping figures.

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<v Speaker 1>Each year. They monitor news headlines and pop culture, introducing

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<v Speaker 1>new faces that they think will sell well at has

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<v Speaker 1>included Donald Trump, Shakespeare, Spock, Tiger Woods, Boris Johnson, George Michael,

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<v Speaker 1>the Pope, Madonna, and a whole lot more. Then, the

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<v Speaker 1>workers carve a likeness from plaster and construct a mold.

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<v Speaker 1>From that mold could come hundreds or even thousands of

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<v Speaker 1>clay reproductions poop and all the little figures are painted

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<v Speaker 1>by artists, which sometimes includes disabled people from local communities.

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<v Speaker 1>The lesson at Christmas time in Catalonia whoop smells, but

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<v Speaker 1>it also sells. Caganets aren't the only poopy caddle. On tradition,

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<v Speaker 1>children also feed a teo, Dana Doll or Christmas log

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<v Speaker 1>with treats. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, parents

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<v Speaker 1>sneakily switch out the logs to make it seem as

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<v Speaker 1>though it's getting bigger. On the final day, the log

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<v Speaker 1>takes a pinata form and kids hit it with a

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<v Speaker 1>stick while singing a somewhat vulgar pooping song until the

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<v Speaker 1>log whoops out treats galore. Today's SOD was written by

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<v Speaker 1>Nathan Chandler and produced by Tyler Clang. For more in

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<v Speaker 1>this and lots of other topics, visit how stuff works

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. Brain Stuff is a production of I Heart Radio.

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