(English) La Castañada, the biggest autumn festival in Barcelona

Autumn time in Barcelona is fundamentally about two great festivals: Halloween and La Castañada. Together or separate, they’re both great ways to explore this amazing city and see new sides to it you never thought possible. Tradition, fun and autumnal fare fill the night on 31 October with celebrations and old-time good cheer.

In Barcelona, on the day before All Saint’s Day, one of Catalonia’s most celebrated festivals takes place, La Castañada, also known locally as La Castanyada. As the name suggests in Spanish, it’s an event where the chestnut takes centre stage. Castanyers roast their chestnuts at various places throughout the city, serving them in cones made from newspaper. It’s certainly the most practical way to keep your hands toasty warm as the temperatures start to fall as the Autumn nights draw in. Along with chestnuts, a whole range of other traditional autumnal fare, including panellets, a mass of ball-shaped almonds covered in pine nuts, and sweet potatoes with cinnamon or sometimes sweetened with sugar, are just some of the delights you’ll find at this traditional Catalan festival. And to add the finishing touch to these seasonal delights, everything is watered down with some delicious sweet wine, like a lovely moscatel.

But La Castañada is above all a festival about sharing. Family and friends gather together throughout the city, coming together around tables and bonfires where they roast chestnuts, sharing their stories and spending time in the very best company.

Origins: La Castañada

La Castañada dates back to the 18^th century when, on the eve of All Saint’s Day, families, friends and neighbours would gather together to commemorate the deceased, pray with their rosaries and eat seasonal chestnuts, panellets and sweet potatoes to provide sustenance for the upcoming winter. Other sources point to its origins during the time when bells would ring throughout the night of 31 October in memory of the dead and, to gain strength for all the upcoming hard work of winter, people would eat autumn’s seasonal produce like chestnuts, panellets, sweet potatoes and drink moscatel.

Regardless of the history, La Castañada is now one of the most important and symbolic festivals in Barcelona. At HCC Hotels, we offer our guests a range of special offers to help you discover this traditional Catalan celebration and make the most of autumn and Halloween time in our hotels: HCC St. Moritz, HCC Regente, HCC Lugano and HCC Taber. And, if you like, why not celebrate Halloween and La Castañada in the Delta del Ebro, thanks to our wonderful HCC Montsia hotel. Fun and tradition in equal measure to bid October farewell.

Categories: barcelona