In Catalonia, what is the name of the log that defecates gifts at Christmas?

In Catalonia, the Christmas log that is said to defecate gifts is the Tió de Nadal.

The name means “Christmas log.” In the modern custom, families bring a log into the home around Advent, give it food, and cover it with a blanket. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, children hit the log with sticks while singing a traditional song; sweets and small presents are then discovered beneath the blanket.

The tradition has rural and pre-Christian roots. The log originally represented the household firewood that provided warmth and light during winter, and older customs involved burning it after Christmas. Over time, that hearth symbolism evolved into a children’s gift-giving ritual.

Caga Tió is the common phrase from the song and is also widely used informally for the custom, which causes confusion in quizzes. Literally, it means “poop, log” or “defecate, log,” depending on translation. El Caganer is different: it is a small nativity-crib figurine depicted crouching, not the gift-bearing log.