La Castanyada vs Halloween in Barcelona
October in Barcelona is an exciting time for sure, and there is no shortage of things to see and do! The 1st November in Barcelona traditionally celebrates the holiday of ‘La Castanyada’ but recently, ‘American Halloween’ on 31st October has become increasingly popular, which prompts the question – can both holidays coexist despite their differences?
‘Castaween‘ is a unique fusion of the two traditions celebrated in Barcelona. It blends elements of La Castanyada with Halloween festivities. Castaween offers a mix of spooky costumes, Halloween parties, and cultural heritage, as locals and visitors enjoy both modern thrills and time-honoured traditions, creating a vibrant, family-friendly celebration in the heart of Barcelona.
Castaween in Barcelona
La Castanyada in Barcelona
La Castanyada, a traditional Catalan celebration, is frequently referred to as the ‘Catalan Halloween’. Historically this holiday serves to not only honour the dead, but also mark the end of summer and beginning of winter.
La Castanyada is closely tied to the Catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day (Dia de Todos Los Santos) on 1st November, when Catholics honour the dead. In Spain, people put flowers on the graves of the loved ones that have passed and attend a church service in their honour. Since this is a national public holiday, most shops will be closed. For those that are interested in knowing more about this day, one can visit the cemetery museum at Montjuïc.
People traditionally ring bells throughout the night of 31st October to honour their dead, a tradition that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The following day on 1st November, the ‘official’ day of La Castanyada, people will celebrate by eating all sorts of traditional foods (mainly sweets).
The foods consumed can vary by region, but some of the most popular ones in Catalonia include roasted chestnuts (Castanyes), roasted sweet potatoes (Moniatos), and marzipan balls (Panellets), which can be found all over the city from October through December. A sweet wine, such as Moscatell, often accompanies these sweet treats.
From the beginning of October you can find ‘Castanyeras,’ or chestnut roasters, throughout the city. They grill the chestnuts and sweet potatoes right in front of you, wrap them in newspaper and serve them steaming hot and delicious! As for the infamous Panellets, they come in a wide range of flavors. A few days before the traditional feast, bakeries and cake shops will work overtime to fill their shop windows with enormous amounts of this small but highly demanded treat. Every year, a crazy 250,000kg of these desserts are sold in patisseries and bakeries!
How to celebrate la Castanyada in Barcelona
Eat delicious traditional foods
Perhaps one of the things La Castanyada is best known for is the amazing food, so what better way to celebrate than to eat your way around Barcelona? There are treats everywhere:
- panellets
- roasted chestnuts
- roasted sweet potatoes
- candied fruits
- and more!
It is very easy to find places all throughout Barcelona that offer these treats, from pastry shops and bakeries to street vendors. There is plenty of time to enjoy these treats too, as they are often around right up until Christmas.
Visit Montjuïc Cemetery
The Montjuïc Cemetery, built into the Montjuïc mountain, is impressive in size sitting at 57 acres. It is rich in history, much of which is relevant to La Castanyada! As the largest cemetery in Barcelona, a bus service is required to get around. The graves range anywhere from simple urns to extravagant crypts for the wealthy. There are many examples of beautiful funeral sites here, from impressive architecture to amazing stained-glass displays. Furthermore, because the cemetery is situated on the seaward side of the mountain, the setting is truly gorgeous with Mediterranean views and lots of greenary.
Halloween in barcelona
Halloween, a popular American holiday, originates from the Christian celebration of All Saints’ Day. On this day, people would go from door to door to receive a “soul cookie”, which supposedly helped people travel to heaven faster. Clearly, this is where the hallmark American Halloween tradition of “trick-or-treating” comes from, where kids and parents alike dress up in fun costumes and go from door to door asking for candy on the evening of 31st October.
Additionally, Halloween has origins stemming from the Celtic New Year’s festival, Samhain, which traditionally marked the transition into winter. The Celts also associated this day with darkness, evil spirits and death. The traditional colours of Halloween (black and orange) also come from the Celts, with orange being the colour of harvest, and black being that of the night. Irish immigrants descended from the Celts then brought these traditions to the United States.
Although Halloween was originally a more serious celebration for adults, kids became more and more involved every year, until Halloween became the exciting celebration it is known for today. Halloween in Barcelona becoming increasingly popular every year!
Overall, both Halloween and La Castanyada are quite similar in that they both have something to do with the dead; however, La Castanyada is more about honouring the dead, whereas Halloween takes a slightly less serious twist that simply incorporates lighthearted themes relating to the dead. Nevertheless, the traditions of La Castanyada and Halloween are starting to blend together.
How to Celebrate Halloween in Barcelona
Despite being most popular in America, Halloween is making its impact in Barcelona. Some highlights can be found below, but there is plenty to do on this holiday!
Dress up for Halloween
It can be a bit difficult to find Halloween costumes around Barcelona, but there are a few good stores, many of which have several locations across Barcelona: Party Fiesta, El Corte Ingles, and DRIM, to name a few.
Go trick-or-treating
There is a community of American expats that meet every year in the Turo Parc area to trick-or-treat with their kids at participating stores in the area; however, anyone can go trick-or-treating in the area, and in many areas throughout Barcelona!
Halloween in Barcelona: Decorations
Halloween in Barcelona is celebrated more and more every year. Decorate your home with fun Halloween decorations incorporating pumpkins, ghosts, bats, black cats, and more! For example, decorations like white cobwebs and ghosts can be seen hanging from some buildings and shops throughout Barcelona. Unfortunately, there are no pumpkin patches or stands like in America, though some small pumpkins can be found at La Boqueria Market. However, decorations can be found in several stores throughout Barcelona, including some of the previously mentioned ones for Halloween costumes! One such store, “Flying Tiger Copenhagen,” has many seasonal items you can check out!
The Sitges Zombie Walk
Over one-thousand people disguised as zombies parade through Sitges, which is less than an hour outside of Barcelona’s city center.
Halloween dinners
Enjoy a themed Halloween dinner at many restaurants in Barcelona. The restaurant Enigmatum, puts on an interactive dinner show, but leaves its location a mystery, so you can only find it if you follow the clues.
Halloween in Barcelona: Nightlife / partying
Get dressed up in a costume for Halloween in Barcelona and party at some of Barcelona’s best clubs throughout the entire week. Popular clubs celebrating Halloween include Razzmatazz, Pachá, Opium, Catwalk, Sala Apolo, and more.
Visit Macabre Park
This horror park is in Terrassa, check out the video below!
Visit Horrorland
This horror park in Vilassar de Dalt (15 minute drive from Barcelona) has haunted houses, games, scary shows, and more. Check out what it was like in 2022 with the video below!
Halloween in Barcelona: haunted places to check out
Being that Barcelona has over 2,000 years of history, it’s no surprise that this Catalan capital has plenty of ghosts and mystery to explore as well. There is certainly no shortage of haunted places.
Ciutat Vella
A street in La Ribera called Carrer de la Neu de Sant Cugat once housed perhaps the most famous school for witchcraft in all of Barcelona, and was run by an odd man named “Seca.”
Eixample
Rocafort Metro Station is now known as “the cursed station” because of all the dark incidents that have occurred here. For example, there have been multiple suicides at this station. Furthermore, some even say ghosts walk on the platform and tracks, which has supposedly been found on the station surveillance cameras as well… </span>
El Born
At number 7 on Carrer dels Mirallers, Jacint Verdaguer, a famous Catalan writer and priest, was known to perform many exorcisms at this location.
Santa Coloma de Cervelló
Torre Salvana, a now abandoned castle, dates as far back as the 10th century and is renowned for its unusual supposed paranormal activity, earning the nickname ‘Castillo del Infierno,’ meaning ‘Castle of Hell.
The Vampiress of Carrer Ponent
Not only are there numerous haunted places throughout Barcelona, but the city is also rich with urban legends. One particularly interesting story is that of “The Vampiress of Carrer Ponent,” or Enriqueta Martí i Ripollés, who in the early 1900’s was suspected of being a vampire who created concoctions from children’s remains. She then sold these to the elite disguised as “miracle cures” for all sorts of ailments, such as tuberculosis, one of the greatest concerns at the time.
In 1912, she was arrested for her involvement in a missing neighborhood girl, and the ensuing search of her home revealed jars of blood, fats, and other odd substances, as well as the hair, clothes, skulls, and bones of children.
Recap Castaween in Barcelona
Barcelona embraces both La Castanyada and Halloween, though each is celebrated in different ways. While La Castanyada plays homage to Catalan traditions with a slightly more serious tone, Halloween adds a playful twist to the mix. As these two celebrations coexist, Barcelona offers a wide range of experiences, from trick-or-treating or haunted explorations to unforgettable nightlife.
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