DIA DE TODOS LOS SANTOS

All Saints Day in Spain (Todos Los Santos) -November 1st. This religious/national public holiday is very important to the people of Spain. Many people from all over the country will return to their town or village to visit the graves of deceased relatives and lay flowers. The Spanish have two birthdays each year, one is their customary birthday to remember the day they were born. The second is when they celebrate the day of their personal patron saint (usually the one they were named after). However, on November 1st each year, the Feast of All of the Saints is held and this particular public holiday is about remembering family members who have died visit the graves of relatives to decorate them with intricate floral displays. For most people, this is a very emotional day. Often the Eucharist, or Mass, is performed several times during the day in the cemetery. As with many festivals throughout the country a number of special dishes are associated with All Saints’ Day like eating roasted chestnuts, castañas, together with small almond cakes, panellets. The tradition or eating chestnuts originates from the legend of a chestnut seller called Maria La Castañada about whom there are many stories. Apparently the almond cakes are in remembrance of the days when homemade cakes and offerings were left with the bodies of the dead. At this time of the year it is quite usual to see in shops huesos de santo – the saint’s bones – which are made from marzipan, eggs, sugar syrup and buñuelos de viento – puffs of wind – these are doughnuts generously sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. In the 10th century All Saints’ Day was celebrated on May 13th until Popes Gregory III and IV moved it to November 1st because they wanted to counteract the pagan festival, the predecessor of Halloween that was held at that time of the year. It was believed by the ancient Gaels that at this time of the year, often known as the Celtic New Year, was when the boundaries between the living and the dead faded away so the Church linked this with All Saints’ Day. Originally as well as holding vigils this was a time of fasting. What started as a time of remembrance of the Christian martyrs changed into today’s custom of remembering all those who have died. One of the traditions of ‘All Saints Day’ is the enacting of the play Don Juan Tenorio, written by José Zorrilla. The final act of this depiction of Don Juan’s choice between salvation or hell is set in a cemetery with the legendary lover grieving over his betrayal of his dead lover.