La Castanyada in Barcelona (Oct 31)

Hi Dawne

Firstly an introduction is appropriate:

Just like the rest of Europe, All Saints’ Day is our time to remember our ancestors. It's an age-old tradition that goes way back in Europe. It's got its roots in the old-school pagan vibe, where folks celebrated the end of good weather (basically, the end of the harvest season) and paid their respects to the souls of their departed loved ones.

The Castanyada tradition (roughly 'the chestnuts festival' in Catalan, the local language) has kind of switched things up in the way we celebrate it. It used to go down on All Saints’ Day, which falls on November 1st, but now, it's all about the night before. During la Castanyada, the main customs involve eating roasted chestnuts, sweet potatoes, dried fruits and a variety of traditional sweets known as "panellets" (yum!). Families and friends come together to enjoy these foods, reflecting on the memories of the deceased while maintaining a strong sense of Catalan cultural identity.

In recent years, there has been some influence from Halloween, with costumes and other elements making their way into the celebration, especially among younger generations. Both la Castanyada and Halloween share a common root: remembering those who are no longer with us, but the latter has evolved recently into a more "commercial" model where ancient traditions mix with modern marketing gimmicks.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. There are different stories about where the Castanyada really came from. Some folks say it goes back to the late 18th century and was all about the food served at funerals. Picture this: people digging into veggies, nuts, little bread rolls, and roasted chestnuts while saying their prayers for the person who had just passed away. But whether you buy into the ancient pagan vibe or the 18th-century funeral feast story, one thing's for sure: we're still chowing down on the same tasty dishes during these times, and the whole shindig is all about remembering and respecting those who've gone before us.

--part 1--

What we do during la Castanyada

The previous days, in schools and kindergartens across Catalonia, children participate in the Castanyada celebration by helping make "panellets" (pronounced "pah-nah-lee-ets") small sweet treats made from ingredients like almonds, sugar, and egg among others. They mix the ingredients, shape the dough into various forms, decorate them with toppings, and then bake them. It's a fun and delicious tradition that teaches children about Catalan culture. Once baked, they take them home and give them to their parents. Truth be told, and though it may sound harsh, the result is often inedible (LOL!)

You can however purchase delicious panellets in many patisseries across the city. Note they can be expensive as it's kind of a delicatessen, ranging from 60 to 100€ per kilo. Some of the best patisseries where to buy panellets are Hofmann, Escribà, l'Atelier Barcelona, Bubó, La Colmena or Mervier Canal among many others.

Should you want to attempt homemade panellets, here you have a very simple recipe for making the most famous of them all, the pine nut panellet: https://www.ccma.cat/tv3/cuines/recepta/panellets/17257/

During these dates, one can also still find "puestos de castanyes i boniatos" in the streets of many cities and towns across Catalonia, also known as "castanyeres" (=the chestnuts ladies). This character is typically portrayed as an elderly woman, often dressed in rustic and old-fashioned attire, which includes a shawl, apron, and headscarf, much like this. The castanyera carries her roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes in a large, round pan, traditionally heated with hot coals to keep the snacks warm. She often uses a flat, broad spatula to serve the roasted treats to customers. This character embodies the spirit of Catalan tradition and nostalgia, harkening back to simpler times when street vendors were a common sight in the cities and towns of Catalonia. The castanyera's presence adds a charming and authentic touch to the Castanyada celebration, evoking a sense of warmth and community during this festive occasion. Unfortunately, this is an image that fades with modernity, and now there are very few chestnuts stands on the streets during those dates, and the appearance of many of them deviates from the "castanyera" described earlier.

There are indeed a number of activities, both public open-air (free) and private indoors (museums, etc.) but it's too early for the announcements yet... you can check these sites below closer to the date. Note that, as mentioned before, Halloween has taken away a lot of the spotlight from the Castanyada, especially at "private" events.

Public outdoors
There are a number of street activities -much like 'county fairs' if you catch my drift- where you can find popular chestnut festivals, children's makeup workshops, panellet-making workshops, or stands featuring local products. These are announced in the City Hall's website a few days before: https://guia.barcelona.cat/en/agenda

Private indoors
- https://poble-espanyol.com/en/activity/halloween-at-poble-espanyol/
- https://www.tibidabo.cat/index.php/en/news/for-halloween-have-a-tibidabo-day?language=ca
- https://www.museocerabcn.com/en/halloween-wax-museum/
- https://www.anticteatre.com/events/event/the-antic-horror-picture-show-x-festival-de-curtmetratges-fantastics-i-de-terror/?lang=en (free)

Enjoy!