Holiday Shopping in Barcelona: Christmas

The first place you should go to get acquainted with Catalan holiday traditions is Barcelona’s Christmas fairs. They offer a great opportunity to buy some truly unique artisanal gifts!

Here, you can find a rich assortment of bizarre Catalan Christmas characters. The first of them is Tió de Nadal. It is the famous log that poops out presents. Instead of waiting for Santa to arrive, on Christmas Eve, little Catalans beat tió with a stick singing a song and ordering him to shit the gifts.

Next are the merry caganers, the figurines of pooping men. Traditionally, they are a part of nativity scenes. However, these days they do caganers as various celebrities - from Donald Trump to the Pope. It is a humble reminder that we’re all human, and even the most famous of us have to poop.

Finally, you can buy some of the more conventional ‘pessebre’ figures. Pessebre: that is how Catalans call the nativity scenes. In Barcelona they are usually very elaborate and placed by the Christmas tree. A handmade figurine will be a beautiful souvenir or memorable present.

The fairs are also a place to get your Christmas tree, festive wreaths and decorations, artisanal toys and jewelry, ceramics, and artwork. Plus, it is a place to delight yourself with a variety of sweets, like the traditional nougat known as torró (turron). Other treats include wafer sticks called ‘neules,’ small delicious ‘panellets’ (small marzipan cookies), and ‘cocas’ (sweet bread with nuts and candied fruit). And don’t forget to buy the delicious Roscón de Reis – a cake in the shape of a crown, which is known as a traditional Three Kings’ Day dessert!