Are you planning a trip to Barcelona, Costa Dorada or Costa Brava soon? Don’t miss ‘La Castanyada’, a traditional and popular Catalan festival that is celebrated on the eve of All Saints’ Day, the 31st of October. As its name suggests, during these dates it is very common to eat roasted chestnuts, the famous panellets and boiled sweet potatoes, along with sweet muscatel wine. Do you want to know more about the tradition of ‘la Castanyada’? Read on to find out more about this important date in Catalonia.
The festival of ‘la Castanyada’ began as a celebration dedicated to the dead, and it was believed that for every chestnut eaten on this night, a soul was released from purgatory. During that day, the chestnut sellers, who were women dressed with a headscarf and long skirts, roasted the chestnuts and took advantage of the heat to warm their hands, as it was a cold time of the year.
Nowadays the celebration has changed, and it is no longer such a serious ceremony, but a party celebrated with family and friends, in which the aim is to have a good time and enjoy the dinner. The most eagerly awaited moment is the dessert, as this is when the chestnuts, panellets and sweet potatoes appear. It is not only a day of celebration, but also a day to go to the cemetery and visit the deceased relatives, as it has been done since the beginning of the tradition of ‘la Castanyada’.
Would you like to celebrate ‘la Castanyada’ and discover more about this tradition? Book your transfer from Barcelona airport, Girona airport or the Port of Barcelona to the main destinations on Costa Dorada, whether Salou, Cambrils or more, Costa Brava, such as Lloret de Mar, Blanes or Tossa de Mar or Barcelona city. Remember that we also provide services from the AVE Camp de Tarragona station.
