Here in Catalonia, All Saints’ Day and the evening before are known as the Castanyada, (’Fête de la châtaigne’ in French) meaning Day of the Chestnut.
Traditionally, ‘castanyes’ (roast chestnuts) are eaten along with ‘moniatos’ (roast sweet potatoes) and ‘panellets’ (small almond balls covered in pine nuts).
Cemeteries are busy on this day of remembrance and chrysanthemums are on sale on every street. Don’t offer them to your hostess when invited out for dinner! They are for the dead
Some French Halloween vocabulary…and some really bad French Halloween jokes.
They might not all be a pulsing whirl of excitement – some are only small gatherings scantily attended – but it’s a great way to support the local producers.
Many are the stories of ‘encantades’ or ‘bruixas’, (witches) in the history of the P-O..
The 11th September, the Diada de Catalunya, is a national holiday throughout Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
Each year, the Ermitage de la Saint Ferréol bursts with life with the annual Festa Major. Tradition, religion, food and drink… it’s a firm favourite with the locals.
The difference between ‘fanfares’ and ‘bandas’.
What are the origins of l’Assomption on 15th August in France.
Although France has been laïque (secular) since 1905, there are a huge number of festivals and traditions based around the lives, accomplishments or remarkable events that happened to various saints.