The Catalan Yule log, as joyful as it is, bears no resemblance to our tradition. This one cannot be eaten, on the contrary… it defecates. This very surprising way of giving gifts continues in Quebec. Explanations.
Before “dropping gifts”, as the Catalans themselves describe it, this wooden log with a smiling face “arrives” in the cottages at the beginning of December. Sometimes it falls from the sky and magically appears in the garden. Sometimes, Catalan families collect it directly from the forest.
Daniel Figueras, member of the Catalan Cultural Circle of Quebec, today carries on his shoulder this Yule log which in Catalan we call Tió de Nadal.
“This one comes from Nicolet,” he says, laughing, before dropping it off in the small space in downtown Montreal.
Around ten families with Catalan roots then gather around the friendly creature to carry out a ceremony which began a few weeks ago. The little creature sat for days in a room of the house while being “fed” with table scraps. Most of the time, in Montreal, we give him clementines or cheese in the evening. In the early morning, only the peel or a covering of wax remains.
The back of this log is permanently covered with a blanket, as if something were hidden there. But, it’s to keep her warm, they say.
After days of eating and digesting, it was this afternoon that the tió will expel his gifts. “If we sing a Christmas song, the tió is more generous,” advises Glòria Serra, vice-president of the Catalan Cultural Circle, with a smirk. She stays watching the log while the children go out to sing hymns in the next room.
” THE tió do not eat in sight of humans. He only eats at night or when we’re not there,” his son confides in all seriousness before leaving to sing. Then, the magic happens, and when the children return to the room, they “warm” long sticks by rubbing them between their hands.
And finally the fun begins. We bang on the log while singing a tune that goes like this: “Poop, log, Yule log, don’t poop herrings, because they are too salty. Make nougat poops, because they are better! »
Poop, log, Yule log, don’t poop herrings, because they are too salty. Make nougat poops, because they are better!
The choir is somewhat cacophonous. Each family has a different version of the song. The result remains the same. By lifting the cover on the back of the tiówhat a surprise to discover the gift packages expelled by the log!
Legend has it that it was upon hearing a small log groan that children began to hit it. “He must have a stomach ache, it will help him,” says Glòria. Rewards for this threshing: nougats (a kind of nougat), hazelnuts and other delicacies.
Defecation usually takes place on the evening of the 24th, although the date may vary. Today, the log offered books, but in general, “it brings Christmas sweets,” confirms Daniel Figueras. If the droppings of tió are often nougats, he also sometimes pisses white wine, it seems.
Among the Catalans, the association between Christmas and excrement is not limited to this log. The nativity scene also involves an unorthodox figure in the person of the “chiper”, a man defecating in a corner. The identity of this crouching character can take any form (politicians, athletes, fantastic characters, etc.) and is limited only to the imagination of the artisans.
Why such a scatological obsession among the Catalans? Mystery. Glòria Serra points the finger at the Catalan language, which places its entire repertoire of coronations, swear words and insults on the toilet.
A recent revival
This surprising ritual is gaining popularity in Quebec thanks to the efforts of the Catalan Cultural Circle and a local artisan. Carles Salvany has been making and distributing around ten of these “little magical beasts” for several years to preserve this local tradition.
The tradition of this “pooping” log dates back to time immemorial and “was lost a little” with modernity, says the man who has conducted some research on the subject. “It was a little dark. We burned the log after the party. »
So in the 1970s we began to give it a makeover by giving it a smiling face and a personality. This “Disneyization” of the tradition has allowed it to come alive again. The Catalan Christmas log is now available in all kinds of formats, ranging from small tiós portable up to collective logs the size of a tree trunk. In any case, this “little magical beast” continues to delight children who never disdain an opportunity to receive gifts.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.