El Día de todos los santos

by Elisa Picon Curiel on
El dia de todos los santos

El Día de todos los santos

Although nowadays Halloween is celebrated in almost all parts of the world, in Spain the festivity of Halloween is not a tradition. Instead, the day of all Saints (Día de todos los Santos) takes place on November 1st. During this festivity people take the time to remember their deceased  family members. It is common to go to the cemetery to place some flowers as an offer to dead relatives. It is a day to spend with the family and maybe to visit a church, as there is a special mass on this day. 

Regions and traditions

Every family and every region of Spain has a different way of living this tradition. In the Canary Islands families gather to have dinner together and to tell anecdotes (and sometimes even gossip!) about their dead relatives. In Cádiz, a region where people are known for their carnival spirit, they call this day “Fiesta de los Tosantos” and they dress up during this day. The people from Galicia celebrate an ancestral celtic tradition called “Samhain”. They start the ritual on the night of October 31st and continue until the next day. In a similar way to Halloween, they decorate their houses and also carve pumpkins where they place candles. In some villages of this region the “Magosto” is celebrated. This consists of having bonfires and gathering with your friends around them while roasting chestnuts. These are also roasted in the Basque Country, during what they call “Gaztañerre Eguna”. On this day they also eat snails and “motokil” (a corn based dough). In Cataluña they also love eating chestnuts (castañas) on this day. They love it so much that on October 31st they hold the festivity of “La Castanyada”. Apart from the chestnuts the “pañellets de piñones” are the highlight of this day. In Begígar (Jaén) pots of oatmeal are cooked. Then the citizens of this municipality use the oatmeal to cover the locks of the houses to prevent bad spirits from visiting their homes on this day. In Soria they gather around bonfires to narrate the horror legend of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: “El Monte de las Ánimas”.

Traditional recipes for El Día de todos los santos

Though the tradition varies between region and region there are three typical dishes that can be found all over Spain on this day (click on the names to give your cooking skills a try!):

Los huesos de santo: They are made of marzipan en almonds and they are called like this because their white colour and cylinder shape makes them look like bones. Give a try to this recipe! 

Los huesos de santos

Los buñuelos de viento: These are a fried dough made of flour, eggs, sugar and butter. Give a try to this recipe!

Los buñuelos de viento

Los panellets: this is typical from Catalunya but it can also be seen in other parts of Spain. Give a try to this recipe! 

Los Panalletes

More from Bravo! Spanish

Did you find our November blog interesting? At Bravo! Spanish we integrate cultural facts and traditions into our publications and classes. Learning a language is not only about grammar and vocabulary, also the cultural background is equally important to fully understand any language. Keep an eye on our publications for more contents and follow us on Facebook: @Spanish.Bravo and on Instagram: bravo.spanish. Or go a step beyond and book your free intake with us!

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