Did you know that Halloween is celebrated on the same day as La Castanyada?
Did you know that Halloween is celebrated on the same day as La Castanyada?
The month of October arrives and with it two very important holidays: Halloween and La Castanyada. Although both have a very ancient history with certain similarities and are celebrated on the same day, they also have many differences. Do you dare to know what they are?
What we celebrate on Halloween and in La Castanyada
Both Halloween and La Castanyada are celebrations that take place to remember loved ones who are no longer with us. They have always been, therefore, two different ways of paying tribute to the deceased.
In the case of La Castanyada, we must go back to the 18th or 18th century to know its origin. At that time meals were organized in honor of loved ones who had died. The traditional foods were chestnuts , hence their name, sweet potatoes, candied fruit or panallets . Nowadays, it consists of a family gathering to eat roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes and panallets for dessert.
It is a typical festival of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Aragon. Although this day is actually celebrated on November 1, many people bring it forward to the night of October 31, just as happens with the other holiday that we are going to know: Halloween.
Two traditions are celebrated on Halloween . On the one hand, that of the Christian religion, which celebrates All Saints' Day, as happens in La Castanyada. And on the other, the Celtic tradition of Samhaim, a festival that celebrates the new year. Always It has been especially popular in the United States , as I imagine you have seen in many movies on TV.
Similarities and differences between both festivals
We have said then that both La Castanyada and Halloween are an occasion to remember other people. However, also we found important differences which are also the fun part of these parties. You can imagine it, right?
La Castanyada is more of a family reunion , although many activities are already organized in the streets, both for us and for our fathers and mothers, such as workshops, readings and concerts. However, Halloween has become a night that looks more like a Carnival .
Do spider webs, giant pumpkins with evil expressions and abandoned houses with zombies or the undead sound familiar to you? Well, that's Halloween! A different night in which We dress up as dark, scary characters .
And if you have seen a movie, or perhaps if you have already celebrated Halloween in other years, you will know that also, although terrifying, It's a very sweet night . Something it also shares with La Castanyada.
This tradition comes from English and is called Trick or Treat; for us, Trick or Treating . When we knock on a door in our costume, we give whoever opens the door a choice between being scared to death or getting some candy. Uuuuuuu!, say the ghosts... Since no one likes to be scared, they usually choose to give us something in return. At the end of the night, Our bucket will end up full of sweet gifts!
And you, do you already know what you are going to dress up as this Halloween and how you are going to celebrate it? Don't miss our next stories because we will bring you many ideas!
