Come Christmas and one can find the Virgin Mary, the three kings and a few wayward sheep as the traditional Christmas nativity scene. But the nativity scenes in Spain have a smartly dressed peasant squatting behind a rock with his rear-end exposed.

The statuettes of "El Caganer," known as the great defecator in the Catalan language, can be seen on the mantelpieces of collectors, throughout Spain's northeastern Catalonia region.

In this region, the symbols of defecation have played an important role in Christmas festivities.

According to AP reports, the pastry shops around Catalonia sell sweets shaped like feces during the holiday season.

Moreover, on Christmas Eve Catalan children beat a hollow log, called the tio, packed with holiday gifts, singing a song that urges it to defecate presents out the other end.

In the 17th century the agricultural society considered defecation to be associated with fertility and health.