CAGATIÓ 2011

A Catalan Christmas tradition – Open to Everybody

Saturday Dec 17th from 11am to 1pm

ROGER SMITH HOTEL
501 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 

(IF NOT RESERVED YET)
RSVP  rsvp@friendsofcatalonia.com

Thank you for RSVP by Wed Dec 14^th with the NAME and AGE of every participating kid. After this date, we cannot guarantee presents for everybody

SUGGESTED DONATION: $10 /kid; $5/adult

PROGRAM: 

11:00-12:00- brunch, workshop and storytelling

12:00-01:00- Christmas carols and “Caga Tió

The Catalan tradition of CAGA TIÓ

On Christmas Eve, Catalan children receive their gifts and treats not from Santa Claus, but rather from El Tió. The Caga Tió is a smiley face log that you will find in Catalan homes from the Feast of the Immaculate Conception until Christmas Eve

Catalan children are not passive participants in receiving their gifts. Unlike many other children who simply go to sleep with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads and awake to gifts. Catalan children have to work hard for their gifts. While singing a traditional Caga Tió song, they use sticks to beat the Caga Tió until he poops their gifts! Yes, you read that right – the Caga Tió poops gifts and sweets. In case you don’t know Catalan, “cagar” is to poop. So, a “Caga Tió” is the Poop Log. Cute, huh. Well, I do think those smiling little Caga Tiós are quite sweet, so we just had to have one in our house. My kids adore their Caga Tió. They treat him like a pet, making sure he is warm and well fed.

(from a text by Jennifer Lo Prete)

This post is also available in: Catalan