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Anton's avatar

​Experiencing Christmas in Barcelona through your eyes offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity. Your observations capture the city's festive atmosphere, highlighting how digital connectivity intertwines with cultural celebrations. Thank you for sharing this vivid depiction of the holiday season in Barcelona.

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Brian Wiesner's avatar

When I first moved to BCN and learned all these traditions I thought it was so strange, now after living there for six years I've come to really appreciate the Catalan sense of humor and how they still keep all these traditions alive.

Watching young kids hit Caga Tio with the stick right in front of the Cathedral of Barcelona cracks me up every time 😂

Happy Holidays Lisa, wishing you all the best for the coming year!

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Lisa Abend's avatar

It's true--you gotta appreciate a culture that goes all in on humor. Happy holidays to you too and feliç any nou!

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Elisabet Juan Roca's avatar

I laughed out loud with this piece, Lisa! The edited NYTimes one was great, but the original version made me cackle!

I didn't realise how weird Catalan festivities are until I met my English husband and I saw my own traditions through his eyes!

We now live in Boston and I still keep a caganer around the house, hiding it in unexpected places just to make us chuckle when we see it!

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Lisa Abend's avatar

Ha! I try not to judge, but it's true: Catalan Christmas rituals are *so* weird.

It's funny how it can take seeing it through someone else's eyes to realize that these things that seem perfectly normal to you definitely aren't to anyone who grew up outside your culture (I recently had the same realization with how American teenagers use baseball metaphors to talk about sex).

Anyway, I'm glad to know you've kept the caganer!

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Elisabet Juan Roca's avatar

Haha! Exactly! Wow, I had no idea about the baseball metaphors. Still so much to learn and to be surprised from!

¡Feliz Navidad!

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Marco & Sabrina's avatar

Caga Tío is a classic!

We spent one of our best improvised Christmases ever in Barcelona a few years back, Lisa. Apropos:

https://marcoandsabrina.substack.com/p/california-dreamin-on-such-a-winters

Wishing you and yours a happy one!

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Marco & Sabrina's avatar

Igualmente!

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Lisa Abend's avatar

Sounds like a great one. Hope this year's is nearly as good!

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