All Saints in Spain
cemetery Day of All Saints Photo farms.static.flick.com
On November 1, Catholics throughout the Western World celebrate All Saints Day, a day to honor the saints. In Spain, the holiday, sometimes referred to as All Hallows or Hallowmas, is known as Todos Santos. All Saints Day was originally celebrated in May but the religious festival was moved to November to offset the pagan festival of Halloween. Like many other countries, Spain has expanded the meaning of All Saints Day as a day to remember all the dead, not just Christian martyrs. The people of Spain celebrate All Saints Day with numerous traditions including offerings and feasts
1. Complete any necessary errands before All Saints Day. In Spain it's a national public holiday, so banks and shops will be closed. You should also be prepared to pay a surcharge on top of any taxi fare on All Saints Day.
2 Begin All Saints Day by visiting the local Spanish cemetery where ofrendas, or offerings, of flowers are placed on the graves. The Catholic liturgy of the Eucharist, Mass, is often performed in the cemetery. In Spain, whether or not you have relatives buried on the hallowed grounds, it is traditional to attend Mass or join a procession to the grave sites.
3 See a traditional performance of José Zorrilla's play "Don Juan Tenorio." This romantic telling of the myth of Don Juan has been performed in Spanish theaters on All Saints Day for over a century. It is a story of Don Juan's choice between salvation and damnation. Mirroring the theme of All Saints Day, the third act of the play is set in a cemetery where Don Juan expresses his regrets and begs forgiveness at the tomb of his fiancee, don Ines, for abandoning her.
4 Participate in the tasty celebration of "La Castanada." Inspired by legends of Maria, la castañera, or the chestnut seller, La Castanada occurs after a family meal. It's a celebration in which chestnuts are roasted along with el boniato (sweet potatoes) and are eaten to satiation. It's also customary to eat small almond cakes, called pannellets, at this time. These feasts are reminiscent of those prepared after funerals in ancient Spain.
5.Visit the Tosantos fiesta in Cadiz. Also celebrated in the marketplaces of the surrounding villages, the fiesta's decorated stalls line the streets. Here you can buy local foods and wines as well as participating in the wholesale traders' market. The bustling market is open to the public on All Saints Day.
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1. Complete any necessary errands before All Saints Day. In Spain it's a national public holiday, so banks and shops will be closed. You should also be prepared to pay a surcharge on top of any taxi fare on All Saints Day.
2 Begin All Saints Day by visiting the local Spanish cemetery where ofrendas, or offerings, of flowers are placed on the graves. The Catholic liturgy of the Eucharist, Mass, is often performed in the cemetery. In Spain, whether or not you have relatives buried on the hallowed grounds, it is traditional to attend Mass or join a procession to the grave sites.
3 See a traditional performance of José Zorrilla's play "Don Juan Tenorio." This romantic telling of the myth of Don Juan has been performed in Spanish theaters on All Saints Day for over a century. It is a story of Don Juan's choice between salvation and damnation. Mirroring the theme of All Saints Day, the third act of the play is set in a cemetery where Don Juan expresses his regrets and begs forgiveness at the tomb of his fiancee, don Ines, for abandoning her.
4 Participate in the tasty celebration of "La Castanada." Inspired by legends of Maria, la castañera, or the chestnut seller, La Castanada occurs after a family meal. It's a celebration in which chestnuts are roasted along with el boniato (sweet potatoes) and are eaten to satiation. It's also customary to eat small almond cakes, called pannellets, at this time. These feasts are reminiscent of those prepared after funerals in ancient Spain.
5.Visit the Tosantos fiesta in Cadiz. Also celebrated in the marketplaces of the surrounding villages, the fiesta's decorated stalls line the streets. Here you can buy local foods and wines as well as participating in the wholesale traders' market. The bustling market is open to the public on All Saints Day.
www.eHow.com