La Castanyada
Catalan All Saints’ Eve tradition
La Castanyada is a traditional festival that is deeply rooted in Catalonia and celebrated on 1st November, All Saints’ Eve. People get together and hold parties where they eat chestnuts – castanyes in Catalan –, panellets – small balls of almond paste coated in pine nuts – ( see recipe in Cuisine's section ), sweet potatoes and other autumnal produce.
This festival is celebrated with family, friends and even in schools. Chestnuts and panellets are often accompanied by sweet wine. These days, some women called "castanyeres" sell hot roasted chestnuts on the streets. La Castanyada and All Saints makes us realize that summer is gone and the cold starts to get noticed.
Irene Roca