APPLE KITCHEN DECORATIONS

Caganers.

El caganer es una figura dels pessebres de Catalunya i el Pais Valencia, sovint amagada en un raco, darrere d'un arbust, on fa les seves necessitats a l'aire lliure. Vestit, generalment, amb camisa blanca, pantalons foscos, faixa i barretina vermelles, sovint fumant amb pipa. L'home que caga, l'home que fa les seves necessitats son altres noms que se li han atribuit.
Actualment representa individus molt variats com ara politics, guardies civils, reis mags, pare noel, monges, pastors, jugadors del Barca o l'Espanyol, bruixes, negres, legionaris romans o bombers sense deixar d'estar en la seva posicio caracteristica. El pages no ha deixat pero de ser la forma mes popular.

L'origen sembla que se situa entre el canvi dels segles XVII i XVIII, en ple Barroc, un moviment cultural i artistic que es caracteritzava per un realisme exagerat. Llavors no era nomes en el Pessebre sino que s'ha trobat en rajoles que el representen explicant histories. Els caganers apareixen ja als pessebres catalans a finals del segle XVII, encara que no es van fer populars del tot fins al XIX. Ara, de bon principi la figura del caganer no era exclusiva del pessebre.
En l'ambit catalanoparlant nomes pot trobar-se a Catalunya i al Pais Valencia. Tambe se'n pot trobar a les illes Canaries. Tant a Portugal com a la regio de Murcia com utilitzen figures semblants com son el cagador i el cagon, respectivament.
Encara que no es conegui amb exactitud quina es la rao en col·locar una figura cagant, es creu que el caganer, amb les seves femtes fertilitza la terra, pel que se'l considera un simbol de prosperitat i bona sort per l'any vinent. La tradicio del caganer esta ben acceptada per l'esglesia. La gent deia que amb les seves femtes abonava la terra i aixi la fertilitzava per l'any vinent. Amb ell hi havia la salut i la tranquil·litat de cos i anima que cal per muntar el pessebre, amb el goig i l'alegria que comporta el Nadal a la llar. Col·locar aquesta figura al Pessebre porta bona sort i alegria; si no es col·loca, comporta desventures.
Curiosament, el caganer no es l'unic personatge nadalenc tipic dels Paisos Catalans que defeca. Existeix una altra antiga tradicio, el Tio, un tronc d'arbre que els nens escullen i que es portat al menjador de la sala. Es cobert per una manta perque no passi fred i es alimentat fins el dia de Nadal, on els nens i nenes de la casa, tot cantant-li tipiques cancons de Catalunya, li donen cops amb un basto perque "cagui" neules, torrons, dolcos i llaminadures.

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A Caganer is a small statue found in Catalonia, in neighbouring areas with Catalan culture such as Andorra, and in other parts of Spain, Portugal and Italy. The figure is depicted in the act of defecation.

In Catalonia, as well as in Spain and in most of Italy and Southern France, traditional Christmas decorations consist of a large model of the city of Bethlehem, similar to the Nativity scenes of the English-speaking world but encompassing the entire city rather than just the typical manger scene. The caganer is a particular feature of modern Catalan nativity scenes, and is also found in other parts of Spain and southwestern Europe, including Salamanca, Murcia (cagones), Naples (cacone or pastore che caca) and Portugal (cagoes). Accompanying Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Shepherds and company, the caganer is often tucked away in a corner of the model, typically nowhere near the manger scene.
Possible reasons for placing a man who is in the act of excreting waste in a scene which is widely considered holy include:
Tradition.
Perceived humor.
A fun spectacle, especially for children.
The Caganer, by creating feces, is fertilizing the Earth. However, this is probably an a posteriori explanation, and few cite this reason for including the Caganer in the Nativity scene.
The Caganer represents the equality of all people: regardless of status, race, or gender, everyone shits.
Increased naturalism of an otherwise archetypal (thus idealised) story, so that it is more believable, taken literally and seriously.
The idea that God will manifest himself when he is ready, without regard for whether we human beings are ready or not.
The caganer reinforces that the infant Jesus is God in human form, with all that being human implies.
The exact origin of the Caganer is lost, but the tradition has existed since the 17th century. An Iberian votive deposit was found near Tornabous in the Urgell depicting a holy Iberian warrior defecating on his falcata. This started a short lived series of polemics between the Institut d'Estudis Catalans and the Departament d'Arqueologia in the Conselleria de Cultura of the Generalitat de Catalunya as to whether that can be regarded as a proto-caganer (which would place the origin of this tradition far earlier than previously thought) or just a pre-combat ritual.
Originally, the Caganer was portrayed as a Catalan peasant wearing a traditional hat called a barretina — a red stocking hat with a black band.
The practi

Our Christmas tree ended up in the dining room this year, after much debate. Our living room is organized to near perfection and we didn't want to mess with it.

We finally felt as though we had enough ornaments this year to actually make it look nice. The ribbon was Angela's idea, and I think it's a nice touch.

Note, this was Christmas day, so all of the Advent candles are lit.