Hi another time, people! I am bored here this evening of the Sunday and I have remembered that I spoke a little about the holydays of Halloween before the American fashion, that is holydays of saints in Spain.
Well, do you remember that I said in several villages from the Region of Extremadura, there are a tradition that consists on children sing a son to the neighborhood, like in US in these time? Well, I seek to know a little more and I have discovered that this is called "Chaquetilla" or "a little jacket" and people gives what they have. I know I said people gives nuts and sweets but it isn´t true. People can give nuts, fig dried, pork sausage, black pudding made from pumpkins, quince jelly and sometimes sweets (what children wants to receive). Then, they go to eat them in the field. I don´t know their origin.
In addition, it is very curious because there were fruits with a candle in but, however, it isn´t a pumpkin but a watermelon. So, you can imagine your garden will be decorated with empty watermelons?
Anyway, this tradition is nearly disappeared because of American Halloween as people moved out this little villages to join to the city.
However, there are several sweets in this holydays if you can pay them, of course:
-Saints´ bones or "huesos de santo": made of marzipan and with a cover of syrup, they have different fillings. They have the form of bones. They are the most known and their origin is in Castilla and in Spain, mainly.
-Fritter or "Buñuelos": a pastry made of flour and sugar with different filling. Despite it is more common in Semana Santa holydays, you can find this sweent in bakeries in these holidays.
-Quince jelly with different nuts: from Extremadura region and people eat it in the field with a special bread.
-"Pestiños": a pastry made of flour, oil and sugar and then fried with a cover of honey. Its origin are in Andalucía and Extremadura regions. It is more frequent in Semana Santa or Christmas holydays.
-"Gachas de leche" or "Milk gachas": a pastry made of milk, flour and sugar or honey which is eaten with milk and bread. It is tipical in Andalucía region.
-Chestnut roasted: mainly in Galicia region, because of we are in Fall.
-Panellets: made of a pastry of lemon, sugar, potatoes boiled, eggs and almonds or pine nut. Mainly in Cataluña region.
May be, one day I translate a recipe for you.
From the other hand, a part of religious sense, there was a kind of death veneration and some authors thought in paranormal activity this night between October 31st and November 2sd because of romantic culture which has a link between love, death and paranormal activity. So, there are a tale from Becquer called "Soul Mountain" or "El Monte de las Ánimas" and which is based on a local tale from the North centre of Spain in the region of Soria. I would summarize a little this tale:
<<So, in Dark Ages, a pack of knights of noble lineage were hunting in that Soul Mountain but they were back to their home because it was November 1st or "The Saint´s day" and they spoke that this name was due to a mysterious tale: Several years ago, this mountain was a property from templar. In times when Christians fought against Moorish, the King has demanded the help from templars to conquer Soria city, instead of demanding help from Castilian knights. As consequence, there had been a fight between templar and Castilian knights until the King solved it and their men buried all the deads in this fight in the fields of this templar mountain. So, people thought in night November 1st to 2sd, the souls runned with animals scared and no one could be this night in the mountain.
Finally, that group arrived to their home and the male character said he would give her a diamond like gift to the female character because it was a day to celebrate, the day of saints. She said this gift could threat her will. So, she said she had lost a blue neckerchief in the Soul´s Mountain and if he tried it, she would accept his gift.
Hi was scared about the idea but he took his horse because he thought that he could kill more wolves like he had done in the hunting.
Minutes died, hours died and he wasn´t back. She woke up because someone had said her name but it was just the wind. So, she listened Soria bells and it was November 2snd, the day of people dead, and she began to pray. She was very scared and she slept. The day had come and she woke up thinking anything had passed and there was anything to be scared last night. But, suddenly, she saw her necherchief in blood in her room. Her eyes knocked out of position... She died because of terror.
In this morning, when servants wanted to inform her that the male had died because of wolves, they found her immobile and dead.>>
P. S. : images are taken of https://teveoenmadrid.wordpress.com/tag/huesos-de-santo/ , http://milpostres.blogspot.com/2008/11/buuelos-de-viento-de-crema-y-de-nata.html , http://www.forovegetariano.org/foro/showthread.php?t=257 , http://www.cuchilloytenedor.com/2010/11/02/receta-pestinos-extremenos/ , http://lacocinaentucasa.blogspot.com/2011/05/gachas-cordobesas.html , http://www.alcadima.com/esp/index.asp?secc=/apartados/oferta_de_noviembre_ , http://lacocinadebender.com/2008/panellets/postres-pasteleria/
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