Hi!

One of the Christmas season traditions in my country, Catalonia, is called Tió. In fact a Tió is a log or a piece of stump or thick branch that children must get some days before Christmas day. Usually on December 8. The Tió is placed in a corner of the house with a blanket, so it doesn’t get cold, and children fed it daily until the day it will poop (sorry). The Tió usually poops on the evening of December 24th or the 25th before the family dinner. To make it defecate, children are sent to pray or sing carols in another space of the house. Then the Tió is hit in turns by children to the rhythm of Christmas songs. Traditionally, the Tió never poops big objects (these are brought by the Three Wise Men on January 6th) but sweets, nativity figures and some simple toys for kids, as well as things to eat and drink for Christmas and St. Stephen’s meals, like nougat, champagne, dried figs, tangerines. The Tió is a ritual of rural origin, it means abundance, an old and dry trunk gives away sweets. It is the promise of the rebirth of nature after winter. “Tió has been part of the Catalan cultural tradition for many centuries.

Happy holidays!