Donald Trump ‘pooper’ statue becomes festive best seller in Spain
The Trump model will be placed in nativity scenes in the hope of bringing good luck
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump is once again the star of an army of clay figurines caught with their pants down and defecating, produced by Spanish craftsmen in keeping with a tradition from the country’s north eastern Catalonia region.
The “caganer” (pooper) figures were originally designed as comical shepherds hidden among nativity scenes for sharp-eyed visitors to spot, but the tradition has expanded to include world leaders and celebrities who have dominated the headlines over the past year.
They have been sold in Catalonia around Christmas since the 18th century, when they were placed in nativity scenes in the hope of bringing good luck and a rich harvest.
The original caganer, which literally translated from Catalan means “the fertilizer”, was a man wearing a red and black hat and peasant costume shown performing his biological functions.
It was believed that his fertile deposits in the soil of the nativity scene would bring a rich harvest.
Sergi Alos, CEO of online store Caganer.com, said sales of United States presidential candidates pooping reflected the outcome of the country’s recent vote.
“Trump has been massive, overwhelming, just like in the elections,” he said.
Trump figurines also proved popular in 2016 when he won a first Presidential term, and in 2020 when he lost the election.
As in previous years, the personalities with the highest media profiles are generally the best sellers.
In 2005 it was reported that the Barcelona city council provoked a public uproar after commissioning a nativity scene which did not include one of the caganers. A letter to the local paper added: “A nativity scene without a caganer is not a nativity scene.”
Joining Trump in this year’s line up are statuettes of French President Emmanuel Macron, currently handling a government crisis, and the far-right leader Marine Le Pen who helped generate it. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and Argentina’s Javier Milei also feature.
The English footballer Jude Bellingham was also a new addition to the list of famous people turned into caganer figures thanks to his stint at Real Madrid.
Previous models included The Queen, Barack Obama and Elon Musk.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments