This blog post is going to be short and sweet. One of the most, ummm … we will use the word “interesting” ways the Spanish celebrate the Christmas holidays is through their much coveted nativity scene, Belén, which is Spanish for Bethlehem.
Almost every family in Spain has some form of a surprisingly elaborate nativity scene set-up in their home. It’s the typical nativity scene with a mother Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, however, these nativity scenes will usually include over 100, sometimes up to a thousand, different pieces. Most are built on a massive scale – but they can be found everywhere from banks, to schools, to a family’s home.
Almost every family in Spain has some form of a surprisingly elaborate nativity scene set-up in their home. It’s the typical nativity scene with a mother Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, however, these nativity scenes will usually include over 100, sometimes up to a thousand, different pieces. Most are built on a massive scale – but they can be found everywhere from banks, to schools, to a family’s home.
A large Belén -- Spanish nativity scene.
However, the interesting part of a Belén is how the Spaniards illustrate their, shall we say, sense of humor...
Most Belén nativity scenes will include a secret cagón (literally translates to “a huge pooper”). So, as you might gather, somewhere included in the nativity scene, usually hidden along a building or in a corner, the Spanish have included their own personal touch!
Oh wow, that's definitely . . . um, interesting. Wow.
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