Christmas 2014: Defecating figurines known as caganers hidden in Catalan Nativity scenes

By David Sim

December 3, 2014 17:42 BST

All over the world people are preparing for Christmas by setting up scenes from Christianity's Nativities, but in Barcelona they do things a little differently.
Hidden away in a corner of many manger scenes is a little figure crouching with his pants around his ankles. A Catalan tradition, the "caganer" or "defecator" is supposed to represent a way of fertilising the ground.
Traditionally the caganer is a peasant wearing a traditional red beret and white shirt, but markets now sell a huge selection of pooping politicians and celebrities, including footballers, celebrities, Spanish and British royals, and even fictional characters such as Captain America, C3PO and Gollum.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and president of Catalonia's regional government Artur Mas(Lluis Gene/AFP)

Caganers sold at the Santa Llucia Christmas market in Barcelona include members of the British royal family, including the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton(Albert Gea/Reuters)