November 15, 2007: Caganer - the defecator in the Catalan Nativity scene - Page 2

HungLikeJesus · 11-14-2007, 07:28 PM

UT - have you considered using ISO 8601 standard date format (YYYY-MM-DD)?

November 15, 2007 -> 2007-11-15

This allows you to sort by date easier.

Here's a link where the date format is discussed.

Undertoad · 11-14-2007, 08:59 PM

I believe in that standard, and I use it often, but here the date used in a more human way, the way one actually consumes months and days.

People are not sort-friendly, nor should they ever be.

Elspode · 11-14-2007, 10:18 PM

Okay, so the Wikipedia explains *what* the caganer is, but...*why* is this character present? Is it just for a little added humor, or is there some more serious shit involved?

sandypossum · 11-15-2007, 12:16 AM

Elspode, it's something to do with bringing the family/village good fortune; bringing fertility to the land in the coming year, and therefore good crops etc. Maybe it has a pagan history to it, and got integrated into the Christian festival. I'm pretty sure some of our more common Xmas rituals are pagan leftovers too, although I can't remember which.

I also found this lovely article from BoingBoing about related pooey Catalan Christmas traditions.

Scriveyn · 11-15-2007, 02:08 AM

... and the angels s---ing ...

(How much room for angel poo on the tip of a needle?)

Spexxvet · 11-15-2007, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

... the way one actually consumes months and days...

Interesting concept. I never considered it tht way....

ZenGum · 11-15-2007, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandypossum

SNIP
I'm pretty sure some of our more common Xmas rituals are pagan leftovers too, although I can't remember which.

Pretty much all of them! Bunnies and eggs, holly and mistletoe, full moons and equinoxes and solstices .... go figure.

Ohh another Ostray-yun. Gedday mate. Crikey, three Victorians eh?

Nikolai · 11-18-2007, 01:16 PM

Same shit, different Christmas

Gravdigr · 11-23-2007, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elspode

Okay, so the Wikipedia explains *what* the caganer is, but...*why* is this character present? Is it just for a little added humor, or is there some more serious shit involved?

In a month you too will wish that you could just take a shit and be done w/Xmas.

ZenGum · 12-08-2007, 10:22 AM

Name: caganer.JPG
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Quote:

Mud figures, of President George W. Bush, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (C) and Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, known as "caganer" (defecator in Catalan language) are sold at the Santa Llucia Christmas market in central Barcelona December 4, 2007. Catalans create Christmas Nativity scenes using models and hide the figures, known as "caganer" or defecator in Catalan, in them before inviting friends to find the figures. Catalans believe the "caganer", by creating faeces, fertilises the earth and brings prosperity and luck for the coming year.

11-14-2007, 07:28 PM	#16
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	UT - have you considered using ISO 8601 standard date format (YYYY-MM-DD)? November 15, 2007 -> 2007-11-15 This allows you to sort by date easier. Here's a link where the date format is discussed. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

11-14-2007, 10:18 PM	#18
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Okay, so the Wikipedia explains what the caganer is, but...why is this character present? Is it just for a little added humor, or is there some more serious shit involved? __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

11-15-2007, 12:16 AM	#19
sandypossum tri-continental dag hag Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 247	Elspode, it's something to do with bringing the family/village good fortune; bringing fertility to the land in the coming year, and therefore good crops etc. Maybe it has a pagan history to it, and got integrated into the Christian festival. I'm pretty sure some of our more common Xmas rituals are pagan leftovers too, although I can't remember which. I also found this lovely article from BoingBoing about related pooey Catalan Christmas traditions. __________________ you're never too old to have a happy childhood

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11-14-2007, 08:59 PM	#17
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I believe in that standard, and I use it often, but here the date used in a more human way, the way one actually consumes months and days. People are not sort-friendly, nor should they ever be.

11-15-2007, 02:08 AM	#20
Scriveyn amnesic-confabulatory opsimath Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Between my ears Posts: 739	... and the angels s---ing ... (How much room for angel poo on the tip of a needle?)

11-18-2007, 01:16 PM	#23
Nikolai Greener than the rest Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Near London Posts: 68	Same shit, different Christmas

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