Castanyada

Castanyada is a Catalan festivity that is celebrated on the “Día de Todos los Santos” to honor and remember those that are no longer living. During this celebration, families and friends gather to eat together chestnuts, panellets, sweet potatoes and canned fruit. The origin of this day is said to have stemmed from when bell ringers would work all night in churches to tell villagers of prayer times for the dead, and due to their exhaustion they’d eat these high energy foods. At this time, people also go to cemeteries to put flowers on the graves and remember their dead relatives and and friends. The Castanyada is more of a happy festival than it is a sad day of remembrance. It seems to be a mix of the Mexican day of the dead and the American halloween between the going to the graves and celebrating and the consumption of sweet foods.