Halloween and its Galician origin. Celtic samain

Samaín vs Halloween.  So if you did not know what it had been before, if the egg or the chicken , I already clarify it for you: Samaín evolved on Halloween, but since in my land we love tradition, we continue celebrating it as Celtic God commands.

“Owls, owls, toads and witches; demons, goblins and devils; spirits of the vegas filled with mist, crows, salamanders and sorceresses; black cat’s erect tail and all the healers’ spells. ”

This is the spell of the queimada , because as you already know, Galicia is a land of meigas, witchcraft, spells and Samaín , a traditional festival that we celebrate both in Galicia and Asturias and León on October 31, which has Celtic origins and which subsequently became Halloween.

Celebration and origin of the Samaín

Until very recently in my house the tradition of the so-called night of the dead or Halloween night had not taken root. We have decided not to disgust this American holiday, after all, any party is an opportunity to have fun.

Although the Galician version, ” A noite de Samhain “, a festival of Celtic origin that dominated Europe until its conversion to Christianity. The night of October 31 to November 1 served as a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Celtic culture, it is considered the “Celtic New Year”, which began with the dark season.

It was celebrated for more than 3,000 years by the Celtic peoples who populated all of Europe. You see that we can use today’s recipe to celebrate a lot of dates, the question is to have fun eating and drinking.

This “transition day” was important in the calendar as it was where the time change and the reduction of hours of daylight took advantage of. And where the end of the harvest season is celebrated.

In Galicia, children take to the streets during the night in Samaín to ask for their Christmas bonus with the well-known “trick or treat”. Meanwhile in the streets or at home, chestnuts are roasted, skulls are made in pumpkins and even melons and the soundtrack of this holiday is made up of bagpipes.

The term Samaín comes from Samas , a being from Celtic mythology who lives under the earth and is related to the regeneration of the fertile land and therefore the regeneration of life. Today is a day when the living and the dead meet.

Death is lived in a very special and authentic way in Galicia. Galician cemeteries are close to the town and available to all residents, not only so that they can come to visit, but also to walk there and enjoy the day

At a religious level you can miss a communion, a baptism or a wedding, but in general in Galicia, not attending the day of the dead is something serious.  It is precisely this deep sensitivity to the world of the dead that is the best example of Celtic originality   in Galicia.

Recover tradition

This holiday was almost completely forgotten, but the tradition began to recover thanks to the fact that previous generations implanted it again in their parishes.

In Galicia these days is known elaborations  Calacus  in Rías Baixas, the  bonecas  with beet in Xermade (Lugo) or pumpkins and melons Cedeira . The technique was always the same, and consisted of emptying the pumpkins with great patience, then placing toothpicks and a burning candle inside to scare away evil spirits .

Over time, Celtic rites aimed at the world of the dead spread towards the tradition of the Santa Compaña, where legend has it that, during that night, a committee of the deceased silently walks through the town carrying lighted candles.

The day of the dead or Samaín is an important holiday for many in all parts of the world, so I hope we all continue celebrating it. At least as long as we’re alive.

Galician Conxuro da Queimada

Mouchos, curuxas, toads and bruxas. Demos, goblins and diaños, espíritos das neboadas veigas.
Corvos, pntegas e meigas. Feitizos das menciñeiras.
You can fired reeds, fire two worms and vermin.
Lume das Santas Compañas, mal de ollo, black meigallos, cheiro dos mortos, thrones and raios.
Ouveo do can, pregón da mort, fociño do satiro e pé do coello.
Sinner lingua gives bad muller married with home hair.
Avernus of Satan and Beelzebub. Lume two burning corpses, mutilated bodies two indecent,
but two infernais cus, rust of the raging sea.
Useless belly gives muller solteira, falar two cats that walk to xaneira, guedella porca gives goat badly calved.

With this fol will raise the shadows of the lume that resemble those of Inferno,
and the bruxas will be flushed completely from their glass, going to bathe in the fat areas.

Hear, hear! The noises that give so that they can not stop burning not pleasant, thus being purified.
E cando this beberaxe baixe polas nosas gorxas, we will be free two evils of our soul and of all bewitchment.

Forzas do ar, terra, mar e lume, this phamada is for you, it is true that you have more power than human beings,
here and now, so that the spirits two friends who are outside, participate with our Queimada.

Recipes to celebrate these dates

Among the most classic sweets that we find on these dates we can find the bones of the saint , all kinds of fritters , the panellets and those desserts that revolve around the pumpkin and the chestnut , which are in the middle of the season.

We will find sweets from here and abroad, but they are all good for celebrating Halloween, Samain or All Saints . Melons and pumpkins have always been decorated , and with their pulp all kinds of desserts are usually prepared. Of American origin, the pumpkin pie , which is also usually prepared on Thanksgiving and Christmas in all US households. We also incorporate the sweet potato cheesecake at home and

In Galicia, fried or pumpkin chops triumph , it is also a time to make a good  queimada  and taste the coffee liquor of the previous year, which will be in its fullness.

In Ireland and England the mince pies are usually prepared  . Some cakes filled with a sweet and sour mixture made with dried, fresh fruits, spices and a touch of liquor. At home and on the blog they have also succeeded.

Dare to prepare your sweets to distribute, like these homemade jelly beans , or these skeleton-shaped cookies  perfect to give to the little ones. And you already tell me what you think.

And remember that Halloween is not only an American party

• Aragon: Night of Souls
• Asturias: Amagüestu Festival
• Andalusia: The festival of Tosantos
• Cantabria: Feast of the Magosta
• Castilla-La Mancha: La Estantigua
• Castilla y León: La Moragá
• Catalonia: La Castañada
• Valencian Community: Fira de Tots Sants de Cocentaina
• Extremadura: La Chaquetía
• Balearic Islands: Sa Trencada and Ses Bubotes
• Canary Islands: The night of the Finaos
• La Rioja: Day of the Skulls
• Madrid: Don Juan Tenorio
• Murcia Region: The night of the tales of souls
• Basque Country and Navarra: Gaztañarre Eguna

How are you going to celebrate? Leave your comment with your party and how you celebrate it at home. Happy Halloween or Samhain in advance!