Catalans have a weird obsession with shitting. In Barcelona a typical way to say you hate something is to say: “Me cago en….” which is literally, “I shit on”. I’ve heard people finish that sentence with a wide range of things including: “your mom” and “my computer”.

Shitting is also a central part of the Christmas tradition. A typical Christmas figurine is the “caganer”. The traditional version is that of a man with a red cap and a white shirt with his trousers around his ankles and a pile of shit behind him (in the photo he’s in the top row and if you look closely you can see the poop). But they come in all shapes and they’re often modeled on famous people, like the queen or, this year, Nelson Mandela.

Another Christmas fixture is the “Caga Tio”, which is a log with a face on it that, according to tradition, local lore or what have you, shits presents after being beaten with a stick. In the same markets that sell caganers you’ll see caga tios in various sizes from small to obnoxiously oversized, often with a red cap.