Dumping on one’s royal family is a harmless enough sport in some countries, but in the fiercely independent eastern Spanish region of Catalonia the concept has taken on a whole new meaning.
Traditionally at Christmas, Catalans place ceramic statuettes in nativity scenes and this year, heir to the Spanish throne Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia, who married in May, will take centre stage.
But the statuettes have sparked some controversy, as they bring to mind a rather different ”throne” — in the lavatorial sense of the word.
The statuettes concerned are called caganers, and are cast shown with their trousers down and defecating.
The original caganer was a man wearing a red-and-black hat and peasant costume shown ”going about his business”, a humorous way of placing a symbol of fertilisation and prosperity for the year ahead in the corner of a nativity display.
This toilet-humour tradition goes back to the 18th century with well-known society figures — and more latterly, footballers or other celebrities — cast in the starring role.
Other caganer models on offer this year include Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero as well as Barcelona soccer stars Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o.
The idea of including the prince and princess among the figures came from display artists Anna Maria Pla and her son Marc Alos from Estartit near the Catalan city of Girona.
They expect to produce about 600 figures this Christmas and sell them for €12 apiece.
Both insist they have never had any run-ins with the personalities represented in such fashion.
”We don’t ask their permission, nor did we in the case of their royal highnesses. We simply make them if we think people will buy them,” explained Alos and his mother.
Both say nobody from the royal household has contacted them to comment since the media recently revealed that Felipe and Letizia will be available as caganers this Christmas.
They insist no lack of respect is intended towards the personalities concerned, but that, on the contrary, it is a way of paying a kind of homage to them.
Anna Maria says she decided to paint the figures to show them dressed as they were ready for their wedding — or otherwise ”engaged”.
Joan Lliteres, chairperson of the Association of Friends of the Caganer and a keen collector, said he welcomes the choice of the royals.
”It’s a means of popularising the caganer figurine,” he said. — Sapa-AFP