Spanish Holiday Traditions: Nativity Scenes
Nativity Scenes
Though Spanish folks do tend to put up Christmas trees, the main decorating focus during the holidays is usually on their Nativity scenes (called a belen) which can be quite intricate and beautiful with all kinds of figures, animals, buildings etc. Of course the scene centers on the birth of Jesus so they must include Mary, Joseph and the 3 Wisemen but really the sky's the limit on what you can add to your scene.
There is even a Belen Festival here in Seville right next to the Cathedral during December where people go to add to their collections. Below you can see a picture of just a few of the stands you can browse looking for that perfect addition, be it something traditional or something a bit more exotic to the original scene (flamingos, soccer players, gypsies, people snorkeling, are all things I have seen for sale).
You can also visit big Nativity scenes set up by different companies and private homes around the city that you can tour. They are usually set up in entryways and foyers and are open to the public. In a village called Rute which is a few hours from Sevilla they even have a giant Belen made of chocolate! There are living Nativity scenes as well throughout the area.
Caganer
My family back home always had their own scene set up at Christmas time but it was always quite basic, nothing too special or extra. Since moving to Spain there is one addition to our Belen which I just had to send home to everyone when I discovered it. Featured in the picture at the left one example of the caganer figures which originate in Catalonia. They are little shepherds which are dropping a deuce. They are usually hidden in the corners, not right in sight.
After doing a bit of research into WHY you would include this figure at the birth of Jesus I have discovered that one theory is that the caca fertilizes the Earth which in turn brings prosperity and fertility. I have also heard that the caganer symbolizes the fact that people were living their ordinary, everyday lives when a miraculous event happened. Either way, it is an interesting addition to be sure.
Be sure to check back to find out more about Spanish holiday traditions!
Though Spanish folks do tend to put up Christmas trees, the main decorating focus during the holidays is usually on their Nativity scenes (called a belen) which can be quite intricate and beautiful with all kinds of figures, animals, buildings etc. Of course the scene centers on the birth of Jesus so they must include Mary, Joseph and the 3 Wisemen but really the sky's the limit on what you can add to your scene.
There is even a Belen Festival here in Seville right next to the Cathedral during December where people go to add to their collections. Below you can see a picture of just a few of the stands you can browse looking for that perfect addition, be it something traditional or something a bit more exotic to the original scene (flamingos, soccer players, gypsies, people snorkeling, are all things I have seen for sale).
You can also visit big Nativity scenes set up by different companies and private homes around the city that you can tour. They are usually set up in entryways and foyers and are open to the public. In a village called Rute which is a few hours from Sevilla they even have a giant Belen made of chocolate! There are living Nativity scenes as well throughout the area.
My family back home always had their own scene set up at Christmas time but it was always quite basic, nothing too special or extra. Since moving to Spain there is one addition to our Belen which I just had to send home to everyone when I discovered it. Featured in the picture at the left one example of the caganer figures which originate in Catalonia. They are little shepherds which are dropping a deuce. They are usually hidden in the corners, not right in sight.
After doing a bit of research into WHY you would include this figure at the birth of Jesus I have discovered that one theory is that the caca fertilizes the Earth which in turn brings prosperity and fertility. I have also heard that the caganer symbolizes the fact that people were living their ordinary, everyday lives when a miraculous event happened. Either way, it is an interesting addition to be sure.
Be sure to check back to find out more about Spanish holiday traditions!
Is that c-word a noun or a verb? I started conjugating it when I first saw it!
ReplyDeleteCaganer is a noun but it comes from Catalan. That might be where the confusion is!
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