Tag: traditions

The Next “Elf on the Shelf”: The Pooping Log

Some holiday traditions stand the test of time, and get passed down for generations. Others start off fun and slowly become exhausting. If you are ready for something truly different, allow us to introduce a Christmas tradition that is equal parts historic, weird, and honestly kind of amazing.

In Catalonia, Spain, families celebrate Christmas with a tradition called Tió de Nadal. That translates to “Christmas log,” but it’s also known as the “poop log.” Yes, that is real.

Here is how it works: About two and a half weeks before Christmas, families bring a regular wooden log into their home. They paint a smiling face on it, give it a little red hat, attach two wooden legs in the front, and drape a blanket over its back end.

In the days leading up to Christmas, kids take care of the log. They pretend to feed it scraps of food, sing songs to it, and not just any songs, specifically songs about it pooping out presents. Parenting books probably do not cover this part.

Then comes the most memorable step: To encourage the log to do its job, the kids beat it with sticks. Seriously. Singing, feeding, and light log violence are all part of the process. Somehow, this is considered wholesome family fun.

On Christmas morning, after one final round of singing and stick-beating, the blanket is lifted off the log’s butt. Surprise. The log has pooped out candy, treats, and small gifts for everyone. Merry Christmas.

If you are wondering where this tradition came from, that’s very understandable. Historians believe it evolved out of old yule log traditions, where logs played a central role in winter celebrations. The stick-beating part likely shares roots with piñatas. Over the centuries, it evolved into the wonderfully strange ritual it is today.

And this is not some new TikTok trend. The poop log has been around for a few hundred years. It has survived wars, plagues, and countless other holiday fads, which honestly says a lot.

The idea is that instead of burning the log for warmth, the family takes care of it. And since it cannot provide heat, it gives back the only other way it can, by pooping presents. Science probably does not support this, but tradition does.

If you are totally burned out on elves on shelves judging your behavior and hiding in increasingly annoying places, maybe it is time to try something new. Feed a log. Sing to it. Beat it with a stick. Then enjoy your chocolate and candy straight from its festive little backside.

Happy holidays.

The 10 American Traditions That Will Disappear Soon

People online have been predicting which American traditions will fade out in the coming decades, and honestly, some of these feel less like predictions and more like things we are already halfway done abandoning. (For good reason.)

Here are the top traditions people think are on the chopping block:

  1. Class reunions
    People say social media killed these because we already know what everyone looks like, where they live, and what they had for lunch. But on the flip side, social media also lets people reconnect, which might actually boost reunions for the brave souls who want to face their former lab partners in person.
  2. Trick-or-treating
    One person said trunk-or-treating has wiped out their neighborhood foot traffic. Plus, the internet now provides a map of “rich neighborhoods with king-size candy bars,” so kids are basically treating Halloween like a heist movie.
  3. Flashy gender reveal events
    After years of exploding smoke bombs, property damage, and a few accidental wildfires, people think gender reveals will go back to being cute, quiet cake-cutting moments. (The forest animals will appreciate keeping their habitat, un-scorched.)
  4. Black Friday chaos
    The in-store stampede era is already fading. Deals now last roughly 30 days, and Cyber Monday stole Black Friday’s spotlight anyway. The term “Black Friday” may soon just refer to “that day you stayed home and bought nothing.”
  5. The Miss America pageant
    This one is barely hanging on. Pageant enthusiasm peaked decades ago, and most Americans now treat them like retro curiosities, similar to landlines or Jell-O molds.
  6. Private fireworks
    Between safety laws, irritated neighbors, and the annual “guy who blew off his thumb” news stories, personal fireworks may slowly fizzle out. Expect an uptick in city-run drone shows, which are flashier and significantly less explode-y.
  7. Daylight Savings Time
    Look, people wish this would die, but the odds of America agreeing on a time system are roughly 0%. Still, the dream lives on.
  8. Big, expensive weddings
    Many Americans can’t justify spending the price of a car on one day. Small weddings, courthouse ceremonies, and backyard celebrations are becoming the norm. Bonus: fewer speeches from relatives who shouldn’t have a microphone.
  9. Thank you cards
    People online called them “a pain,” and most believe a text or in-person thanks covers it. Etiquette purists may faint, but everyone else is ready to retire hand cramps and postage stamps.
  10. Christmas cards
    These used to arrive in stacks. Now? Mostly from older relatives or parents with fresh family photos to show off. The digital era is slowly taking over, and the mailbox is mostly full of credit card offers and political flyers anyway.

Whether these traditions fading away is sad or a relief depends entirely on how nostalgic you are. But if class reunions vanish and gender reveals chill out, most Americans will probably survive.

What do you think will happen in the years to come?

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