Halloween is now pretty much a global tradition, however it hasn’t always been the case. Originally in Spain, the celebrations around this time of year were far from scary costumes and pumpkins, it was and still is, about saints, souls and celebrating the deceased.
To put Halloween in a nutshell, it is now popular in Spain for kids to dress up, do ‘truco trato’ ( trick or treating) and most town halls have a lineup of events for families and children on the nights of the 30th and 31st October.
On the other hand, El Dia de Todos los Santos is the real holiday in Spain. All Saints Days is on 1st November and is a national bank holiday. This year (2026), the holiday will be moved to Monday in most places in Spain, as it falls on a Sunday. Consult which areas move the bank holiday.
It is very typical for families to gather together to remember and celebrate family and friends who have passed away. People visit and clean their graves, leave fresh flowers and spend the day together eating traditional foods and sweets. Often, many town halls will facilitate special bus services to local cemeteries.
The 2nd November is the day of Los Fieles Difuntos, or All Souls Day. This is a catholic holiday which is not as well-known as All Saints Day, although special church services will be on and people will also visit graves to remember loved ones.
The traditional foods around these dates are ‘Huesos de Santo’, small tubes of marzipan filled with egg yolk, Buñuelos de viento, fried pastries with sugar and fillings and of course, a winter classic, roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes.
The ways of celebrating these days vary depending on the area of Spain you are in. A famous celebration called La Castanyada, is bespoke to Cataluña, and includes gathering together and eating roasted chestnuts, sweet potatoes and almond sweets. In Galicia, they revive an older- celtic tradition called Samaín, where they believe spirits became alive on the night of 31st and includes carving pumpkins with scary faces and a candle. In southern Spain, in Andalucía, the ToSantos includes making comedic and humours vegetable displays. Other small regions, also have their independent celebrations such as in the Costa del Sol, the El Tostón, is very similar to La Castanyada.
In conclusion, Halloween may be worldwide now, but is a very modern and recent celebration which has slowly become popular amongst children. Nonetheless, get involved as there will be events going on in your municipality.
El Día de Todos los Santos, on 1st November, is dedicated to remembering the deceased and their life, gathering with your families and eating a lot of food.
Happy Halloween or Feliz Día de Todos Los Santos! Whichever you choose to celebrate’ or both.
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes and states what usually happens in Spain at this time of year. Halloween events in 2026 have been cancelled in a lot of municipalities around Spain due to national mourning following the terrible train accident in the province of Toledo. May all the victims rest in peace.
Watch our latest episode where we discuss this further:
