Christmas in Catalonia

Please excuse the indelicate material appearing in the press during the Christmas season. But the Spaniards in Catalonia (think Barcelona) have a peculiar practice of depicting Christmas figurines in a squatting or crouching position. They are called "caganers" which translates to "poopers" and they are placed among the characters in a Nativity scene. They say it is an irreverent tradition harking back to a time when human waste was used to fertilize the fields. Just wanted to clarify that the aroma emanating from the stable scene may not come from the animals.
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/05/world/what-in-the-world/caught-with-your-pants-down-must-be-christmas-in-catalonia.html?src=me&_r=0