Some people have been asking for a report on Lloret de Mar in Christmas, so I went out today to take some photos so you can see for yourselves.

A beautiful and radiant day, just as predicted. Cold, about 14ºC, but sunny. Not even a gentle breeze was blowing and the water was still as a lake. Families were taking a walk along the promenade enjoying the sun. Some people even wearing short sleeves. I guess it’s much colder where they come from. haha I have no idea what’s the weather like now in Britain.

Most shops and bars were closed but there were still a few open. We went to a British Bar which was the first we saw facing the beach. It was jammed with British people celebrating the holidays. There was a festive and cheerful feeling floating in the air. Lot’s of people wearing santa hats.

We kept on walking and saw Lloret de Mar’s Christmas decorations in the park. A huge Christmas tree surrounded by a star.

We also saw “caga tio” a catalan tradition for giving children their presents. Children feed the cagatio for weeks, the caga tio misteriously keeps eating all the food the kids leave for it, then in Christmas Eve, a strange ceremony takes place. Kids and parents start gently hitting the tio with a stick and chanting together:
Tió, tió, –Tió, tió,
caga torró, –shit some sweets,
si no tens més –and if you haven’t any left,
caga diners, –shit some money
si ja tens massa –and if you had enough
caga una carbassa. –shit a pumpkin instead.

Shitting, pardon me , is not meant to be an obscenity and it doesn’t sound as bad as in English ;-). It’s a gentle joke.
The tió is a a wooden log with a funny face painted on it, a “barretina” (the catalan typical hat), and covered by a blanket.
As children are bussy hitting the tió with the stick, parents put the presents under the blanket without them notecing, and thus they go on, until all presents are gone and at the end some “pumpkins” appear, sweets shaped as pumpkins.

Some villages have this in the street, and they all feed the tio when for days, until the time comes for the tio to shit them. In the photo you can see the remains after Christmas Eve. It will soon be gone until next year.

More photos here.