As we enter the Christmas season it is often a time of festivities and traditions with friends and family and as this season rolls along, more traditions new and old are brought up. One other thing that rolls is logs which brings us to the Catalonian (Catalonia is the northern region of Spain) tradition of Caga Tio. Caga Tio translates into “pooping log” although Tio itself translates to uncle which is what it is sometimes abbreviated to. The tradition of Caga Tio is one in which kids feed the log small treats on the days leading up to Christmas. It is believed that the daily feeding of the log creates anticipation and excitement amongst the children. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, the kids beat the log with sticks while singing songs urging the log to “poop” out presents.
Much like our Christmas tree, presents are often placed under Caga Tio which are hidden by a blanket that covers the log from the chilly weather. The log originated as a symbol of warmth and sustenance and was brought into the home to be “fed” which was believed to grant agricultural blessings. This shifted around the 18th century to more of a gift-giving thing for kids around the Christmas season with the rise of Christianity. With this shift also came the increase in the artistic display of Caga Tio, which once originated as a simple log, now evolved into a mascot of the Christmas season.
This is just one of many Christmas celebrations around the world that are unique and unheard of. Each country or region has its own special way to celebrate the Christmas celebration, even in places far from any christmas tree or snowy landscape. The Phillipines is one of these places, regardless of the fact it gets up to 80 degrees around this season, they still have found their own traditions. Each year the city of San Fernando holds a Ligligan Parul (Giant Lantern festival) in which a large display of lanterns symbolize the Star of Bethleham which can be seen beaming through the night sky. This festival has religious roots in a country that is 90% Christian.
In contrast to the religious celebration of Christmas, Japan offers a more commercial look on the holiday, coming from an unlikely source. The Colonel himself draws quite the crowd every Christmas season throughout Japan.
This stems from a 1974 marketing campaign which saw wild success with its “Kentucky for Christmas” campaign. This success only increased with time incorporating the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise into the holiday season. This may be due to the fact that Takeshi Okawara, the first manager of a KFC in Japan, and later the CEO of KFC Japan, marketed fried chicken as a traditional American food. The fact that many traditional items such as turkey or ham are simply impossible to find in Japan, or a combination of both fried chicken became a beloved holiday staple. KFC was able to fit into pre-existing Japanese cultural norms such as the commonality of sharing dishes with family and friends which can be easily done with a bucket of chicken. Regardless of why, this has led to a cultural and economic phenomenon in which KFC generates 63 Million USD $.
