La Castanyada, one of the most traditional Catalan festivals, is already here. And no matter how much competition Halloween gives it, the tradition remains, and Barcelona smells these days of chestnuts, panellets and sweet potatoes.
But no matter how fine we get with panellets these days and how romantic we get buying roasted chestnuts from the castanyeres, it is not superfluous to remind us of the origin of the festival so that we can castanyear conscientiously. So here’s a little reminder, where does the Castanyada come from?
The day that serves to celebrate all the saints at the same time.
First of all, the date. For more than a millennium, Catholic countries like Spain have been celebrating All Saints’ Day on November 1. Its origin is curious. As you know, in the Christian calendar each day is dedicated to one or more saints and martyrs. But already in the 7th century the number of saints began to be too high, so Pope Gregory III wanted to put a solution to the matter.
Therefore, during his pontificate (731-741) he consecrated a chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica in honor of all the saints, and determined that on November 1 all the saints would be honored, so that no new saint would be left without a day of his or her own and so that the saints’ calendar would not continue to overflow.
It is believed that the choice of November 1 responds to the coincidence with pagan Celtic festivals of the time in which the dead were venerated. The will of the church to “cover” pagan celebrations with their own celebrations together would have given rise to the tradition of visiting our dead on All Saints’ Day, and hence the custom of visiting the cemetery on November 1 to bring flowers to our deceased relatives.
Activities in the cemeteries of Barcelona
During the celebration of Tots Sants and the Castanyada, the city council organizes activities in various cemeteries of the city. Of course, the traditional masses, but in addition, there are activities ranging from the installation of a Mexican altar in the cemetery of Poblenou to night guided tours of various cemeteries in the city.
You can consult the full program of the cemeteries of the city on the website of the city council.
Why is the castanyada celebrated in Catalonia?
But… How does the Castanyada fit into this tradition? Obviously, it has to do with the seasonality of chestnuts and sweet potatoes, typical autumn products. Even so, the origin of the festival is not clear. A popular version explains that chestnuts and sweet potatoes were the hearty dinner of the bell ringers who had to ring the bells loudly and for a long time announcing the Night of All Saints to remind the faithful to pray for the souls of the dead.
Thus, roasting chestnuts and sweet potatoes to regain strength after the chimes, was born, apparently, this tradition. So, too, the castanyeres, emblematic figures that are an icon of the popular imagination, with their traditional clothes, roasting chestnuts in the chestnut stalls scattered throughout the cities.
In Barcelona, for example, according to Joan Amades’ Costumari catalán, the castanyeres of Barcelona were placed on All Saints’ Day in the Portal del Ángel and Portal de Don Carlos (towards the current Avinguda Icària), the areas of passage to go to the cemeteries of the city: that of Poblenou and that of the apestados, which was at the confluence of the current Passeig de Gracia and Aragó.
The origin of panellets
In the same customary, Amades explains, about the panellets, that in some times the godparents gave them to their godchildren, just as at Easter they gave them the monkey as a present. Originally, according to the Department of Popular Culture of the Barcelona City Council, panellets were not sold in bakeries, but in cafes or in the street, because it was common to make a kind of bet to get them as a prize.
They also explain that at the end of the 18th century the streets of the Call, the Boqueria and the Hospital hosted a very popular fair of chestnuts and panellets, with stalls decorated with plates on which shapes were drawn with chestnuts and panellets. Amades recalls that at each end of the table a candelabra was placed and, in the middle, a vase of flowers to give it the appearance of an altar.
Its origin, however, is not entirely known. A possible origin indicates that, perhaps, they are heirs of ancient funeral cults that consisted of taking small bread rolls as an offering to the church or to the tombs of the deceased in this festivity. In addition, the fact that they are long-lasting foods links them to the concept of eternity and remembrance of the dead.