One of our favorite times of the year has arrived. Little by little, as we say goodbye to summer for good, a new sense of celebration fills the city, and with autumn comes La Castanyada in Catalonia . The streets are filled with the smell of chestnuts, it gets dark early (perfect for a walk through the city that begins to light up) and it starts to get cold, but not too cold.
La Castañada in Catalonia is a centenary festivity that is celebrated on All Saints’ Day, that is, November 1. During the previous days, Catalans have special meals and desserts and up to five different traditions, which can be celebrated at the same time or separately.
So whether you want to be a catalanet com cal or you have just arrived in Catalonia and want to know what this festival is, we explain what LaCastanyada is, what it is and when it is celebrated. Of course, don’t forget to check our article about the origin of this festivity if you want to get completely immersed in this tradition.
When, where and how is La Castanyada celebrated?
The official day ofLaCastanyada is for Tots Sants on November 1, and not on October 31 as is Halloween, although as it is becoming increasingly popular to celebrate both holidays, the vigil of All Saints is beginning to celebrate Castaween, a mixture of the two traditions where costumes, terror and chestnuts are mixed.
In general, it is a tradition that is usually celebrated with friends and family, unlike calçotadas, for example, which tend to be more popular and neighborhoods, bars and restaurants fill the tables and streets with elongated onions. Although that does not mean that there are not bigger parties.
During this day, boys and girls usually dress up as castanyer/a, which is the traditional character that made the chestnuts. The clothes are usually loose and they wear a sash on the belly, a scarf on the head and espardenyes with socks (one of the few times of the year where this aesthetic is allowed. So do not wear espardenyes and socks at other times).
The adults usually make a dinner or a meal where they make the chestnuts themselves and also eat panellets and sweet potatoes. Below we explain all the gastronomic traditions around this festival.
Map of the Castanyas stalls
We leave you the map with all the castanyas stalls in Barcelona so that you always have at hand your chestnut cone or your ration of sweet potatoes.
Gastronomic traditions ofLa Castanyada
Eating chestnuts on street corners
As the month of October begins, we can start to notice the smell of burning chestnuts from the chestnut stalls that are installed throughout the city. Undoubtedly, it is a fruit that you have to eat (and try if you have not done so) during this time of year, as it is the one that most defines this time and the name of the tradition means just that, castanyada, eating chestnuts.
Making panellets at home (or buying them)
One of the most fun parts of this tradition is making panellets at home. They are small balls of marzipan very easy to make, covered with pine nuts, coconut, cocoa and everything you can imagine. Although there is also the option of buying them and bakeries and pastry shops are full of them.
In the past, panellets were offered as an offering to the deceased. That is why today, it is typical that your mother, uncle or cousin brings you a few panellets that they have left over. It is as much a tradition to eat as it is to give as a gift.
Eating sweet potatoes
Source: Shutterstock
One of the other typical foods of the Castanyada is the sweet potato. You can usually find them in the chestnut stalls as well. It is a sweet potato typical of this time of the year. And if there is any way in which we Catalans like to celebrate our holidays is with seasonal food.
Witches’ nights, terror tunnels and castanyadas in the neighborhoods
In Barcelona the Castanyada mixes with Halloween to become Castaween, the time where terror and the oldest traditions of Catalonia are mixed.
Hence, in the neighborhoods of the city there are dozens of organized activities where you can go to eat castanyas while crossing a tunnel of terror.
We explain all the details in our article, with all the activities that are organized in each district.
Visit to the cemeteries
Tots Sants and the castanyada always go hand in hand. The first is the festivity and the second is the way to celebrate it. Therefore, it is typical that during November 1, and the days before, families and friends go to visit their deceased to the cemeteries and bring them flowers.
It is a tradition that honors the dead and its origin is not so different from Halloween or the Mexican Day of the Dead. Because of this, different cultures around the world have their own way of celebrating and remembering those who are no longer around these dates.