Around All Saints’ Day and the All Souls’ Day that follows, a whole series of traditions are celebrated in Spain, the most notable of which is undoubtedly visiting the graves of loved ones to show that they are still remembered. . However, given the plurinationality of the Iberian country, there is different celebrations in the multiple regions of the peninsula.
One of the most obvious examples is the Samhaina festival of Celtic origin celebrated in Galicia. In Gaelic, Samaín means “end of summer”, since the ancient Celts celebrated it at this time of transition from summer to winter.
But what exactly is Samaín and why is it celebrated in Galicia?
This is the true origin of Samaín
The Celtic peoples considered that the year It was divided into two parts. The first was dark and began Samhain nightand the other, clear, which begins Walpurgis Nightbetween April 30 and May 1. Samaín Night was considered the beginning of the year, when summer ended and winter began.
Legends say that Druids They honored the deceased by picking mistletoe berries that night in the most remote forests, for which they used a sickle forged in gold. With them, they prepared potions and predicted the future of crops.
During this day, the druids also piled branches and they lit bonfires in different areas of the city. The fire tradition has been preserved in Galician villages, when during this night bonfires are lit which will then be used to light the fire. lareiras.
The Spanish origin of Halloween
Before the appearance of pumpkins in Galicia, in Samaín, Celtic populations picked the skulls of his enemies and they illuminated them to place them on the walls. With the arrival of Christianity, this tradition was declared pagan, but it had already spread to other regions of Europe.
Among Celtic peoples who preserved their traditions, such as the Irish, on Samhain night, the fruits were emptied and burning charcoal was placed in the internal hole to light the return of the deceased into the world of the living. With the arrival of pumpkins, they began to carve skulls to place a candle inside.
The festival, over time, came to the United States with the many Scottish and Irish emigrants who left for America, taking with them their culture and traditions.
