The night of Samaín

Have you ever celebrated the Samaín in Vigo? Long before Halloween became popular around the world, the Celts celebrated the Samaín on the night of 31st October; this Celtic festival of the dead celebrated the end of the harvest season. It was a time of plenty, dedicated to preparing and storing food for the winter.

This is a night with strong spiritual connotations, when the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead disappears, and houses are decorated with grotesque ornaments to scare away the dead... like pumpkins, typical of this time of the year. This is also the origin of dressing up like the dead or spirits; according to tradition, you’ll be safe if they believe you’re one of them.

Magosto is a typical celebration during Samaín: people meet to roast chestnuts and tell stories by the fire.