The pair are competing to appear on top of the best seller list of this year’s caganer figurines, a bizarre Christmas tradition in the Spanish region of Catalonia.
Known as “caganers” – which translates as “poopers” or “crappers” in English – the clay figurines area popular nativity scene decoration in Catalonia, where a defecating figure perched behind Mary and Joseph is said to symbolize fertilization, as well as bringing luck and prosperity for the year ahead.
Visit any Catalan home at Christmas and you will find what appears to be an interloper hiding among the traditional figures around the crib in the nativity scene.
Joseph and Mary will be in pride of place around the manger gazing adoringly at baby Jesus in the nativity scene or Belén that is traditionally set up in many homes at Christmas.
The three Kings will likely be in attendance, along with a group of shepherds and a set of traditional farmyard animals.
But look closer and you will spy a figure squatting with pants down, bare bottom raised over a little brown pile of poo – glance up at the face and chances are it's a figure you recognise.
There is a growing trend to purchase a new figure each year – a trend that is proving profitable for a handful of artisans who produce the figures each year.
Modern crappers represent public figures of the moment, from politicians to sporting heroes.
Cartoon characters, literary figures and film icons can all be found on the shelves of stalls selling caganers.
No-one is above the cheeky satire that sees celebrities bare their bottoms and perform a call of nature from Queen Elizabeth II to Pope Francis.
Not surprisingly, the Donald Trump figure has been a best-seller for the last few years. And this year he is joined by a new figure in the form of presidential challenger Joe Biden.
Versions have been designed of them both with and without facemasks and of course with their trousers pulled down and their bottoms bare.
In further reference to the coronavirus pandemic, another new figure has been especially created this year.
Fernando Simón, the epidemiologist who as Spain’s health emergency chief has led the daily press conferences reporting on the evolution of the virus in Spain is expected to be among the best-sellers in 2020.
Figures representing healthcare workers also appear in the caganer.com catalogue in recognition of the valuable role they have played this year.
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