The 1st of November in Portugal is “Dia de Todos os Santos” or All Saints Day. To celebrate many people are given or take the day off from to spend time with family and friends in the countryside collecting chestnuts and having cookouts.
Curral das Freiras will celebrate this day with the 21st Annual Festa da Castanha/Chestnut Festival. Traditional music and dances will be performed and visitors can sample roasted chestnuts served by the various vendors in this small town. These chestnuts are hand picked and dry roasted with salt, making the perfect hot snack for this time of year. For those watching your weight this time of year you can relax a bit knowing castanhas contain very little fat and are chock full of vitamins C and B6 and are also a good source of potassium. If nuts aren’t your thing there are many other seasonal foods to sample at the Chestnut Festival- sopa de trigo/wheat soup, apples, pears, and other locally grown produce.
View from the lookout above Boca da Corrida
The holiday of Todos os Santos is a day for honoring all saints, known and unknown. Children celebrate Todos os Santos as Pão-por-deus. Pão-por-deus is like the opposite of America’s Halloween, here children venture out in groups and recite versus from the good book and sing songs to receive bread (pão), dried fruits, and chestnuts. I personally prefer this to the corporation controlled tradition of making or buying expensive costumes and candy, then having ungrateful children show up on my doorstep demanding candy.
View from above of Curral das Freiras
Anyways now you have a place to be on November 1st and a day off from work. See you there.
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