European Organic Wine Harvest Part 2
All Saints Day Traditions
Happy All Saints Day! We represent organic wines from across Europe and South America, and celebrate this important holiday along with our many winery partners. Also known as Feast of the Saints, Festa di Tutti i Santi in Italy and La Toussaint in France, it’s a celebration throughout the Catholic world of all saints, known and unknown, and people return to their town or village to lay flowers on the graves of deceased relatives. It is customary to leave chrysanthemums or wreaths of artificial flowers on or close to the graves. This same time period is also the pagan Festival of the Dead (also known as Feast of Ancestors or Samhain).
From Huffington Post: “All Saints’ Day comes just after the pagan holiday of Samhain and the secular Halloween. It overlaps with the Mexican cultural celebration, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, and is directly followed by another Catholic holiday, All Souls’ Day.”
Traditional Foods of All Saints Day and All Souls Day
All Saints Day is known as Castanyada in Catalonia and several other areas of Spain to include Ibiza and the Land of Valencia.In this region, cookies called panellets or “little breads” are a specialty eaten on All Saints Day.
All Souls Day (or Day of All Souls) follows on Nov. 2 with family celebrations honoring and celebrating those who have passed. In Veneto, sweet almond fava biscuits, dulce de membrillo made with pulp of the mela cotogna (quince) fruit are a specialty on All Souls’ Day. In this region, it is believed that fava beans are a direct line of communication between the dead and the living.
Whatever your country or tradition, this weekend is a wonderful time to gather with family and celebrate all relatives past and present. Grab a bottle of organic wine, paired with your favorite dishes and enjoy all that life has to offer. Cheers!
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