The caganer, or ‘defecator’, is a staple of Christmas in Spain’s Catalonia region

A pessebre, a Catalan nativity scene, contains all the usual suspects. There’s Mary and Joseph gazing down lovingly at baby Jesus, sleeping in his manger. There are the oxen, gently lowing, and perhaps some shepherds. But look closer, and hidden among the traditional characters is a little figure, trousers down, doing his business right in the middle of the holy scene.
 The caganer – literally ‘defecator’ – is a staple of Christmas in Catalonia in north-east Spain.