Why Choose Barcelona As A Halloween Destination?

Barcelona and Spain as a whole love to celebrate Halloween. However as you’ll soon discover when you choose to make this city your destination this coming Halloween is that it lasts a lot longer than just one night of trick or treat.

Here the celebrations take place over a three day period and is referred to as “El Día de lo Muertos” (Day Of The Dead). The festivities like everywhere else that celebrates Halloween begin on the 31st October but then continue over until the end of the 2nd November.

Throughout these three days families get together to help commemorate the lives of the ones they have lost. This is because many of the people believe that their dead relatives have actually returned home again to be with them. However the festivities aren’t only designed to help the people of the city of Barcelona to honour their dead it is also to help celebrate life as it continues.

Just as in the UK and US celebrations begin on the 31st October and is known as “Night of the Pumpkins” (Noite de Calacus). Throughout the evening children dressed up in a variety of costumes will go trick and treating from door to door. Before being taken home to enjoy their rewards.

But don’t worry there are plenty of things going on throughout this evening that us adults can enjoy. Throughout the city there are numerous activities and parties taking place many with a costume theme to them. The best places to really get in to the swing of things during these 3 days include Shoko, Apolo, Opium Mar and Monasterio. Plus you’ll also find that some of the city’s hotels such as Casa Fuster organise special events to help celebrate this particular time of the year.

After enjoying all that is on offer on the 31st October the 1st November is a public holiday. Things are a little more muted on this day but as you explore the city you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a traditional Catalan event known as La Castanyada.

This traditional event involves the eating of roasted chestnuts (castanyes), sweet potatoes (moniatos) and cakes (Panellets) that you will see being sold by vendors around the city’s streets. Plus it also involves the drinking of the sweet muscatel wine.

Events however take a more reflective mood on the 2nd November as this is when most of the people of Barcelona attended services at the many churches throughout the city. Plus you’ll find that a great many of the cemeteries are a lot busier than is normal, as the people of the city like to visit the graves of their departed love ones to decorate them. Don’t be too surprised if you hear music especially if you are close to Les Corts or Poblenou cemeteries as classical music concerts are held at them at this time.