Did you know that before Halloween in Mallorca they were already emptying pumpkins?

PalmaBefore pumpkins with terrifying faces and Halloween costumes spread across Mallorca, the island already had the custom of hollowing out seasonal fruits to turn them into lanterns during the Night of the Souls. The tradition consisted of carving pumpkins—and also late-season melons—making eyes and a mouth in them, and placing a candle inside. These lanterns were placed in houses, behind windows, or near doors, and were part of a night charged with symbolism in which the living remembered the dead.

This and other Mallorcan All Saints' traditions have been circulating again these days on social media, among others, through the Instagram profile of the artist Elena Albinyana, who contributes to giving visibility to customs that often remain in the background in the face of the expansion of Halloween.

The Night of the Souls: when the deceased returned home

The night of October 31st, traditionally known in Mallorca as the Night of the Souls, was a time of remembrance and respect for ancestors. According to popular belief, the souls of the deceased would return to visit the houses where they had lived. For this reason, in some places, lights were left on so they could find their way, the hearth fire was lit, and even a place at the table or a bed was prepared to receive them.

Pumpkin lanterns played a role in this imaginary. The candlelight symbolically helped the little souls return to their home, but the cut-out figures could also startle people passing by in the street. The tradition was, therefore, not exactly the same as today's Halloween: in Mallorca, the custom of making lanterns coexisted with a celebration centered on the memory of the deceased and popular beliefs about death.

The pumpkin, moreover, was almost entirely used. While the skin became a lantern, the pulp could be kept to make angel hair jam, a way to make the most of the fruit and link the custom to seasonal cooking.

Where does Halloween come from?

The Majorcan Night of the Souls shares with Halloween the imagery surrounding the dead, spirits, and the boundary between the world of the living and the beyond. This does not mean, however, that all the traditions of Mallorca come directly from the Anglo-Saxon festival.

The historical origins of Halloween are usually related to Samhain, a celebration of Celtic communities that marked the end of the harvest and the entrance into the darkest period of the year. According to traditional interpretations of this festivity, during those dates, the boundary between the living and the dead became more diffuse. Bonfires and ritual practices were part of that cycle change.

Over time, the Christian calendar consolidated November 1st as All Saints' Day, dedicated to remembering all saints, and November 2nd as All Souls' Day, dedicated to praying for the dead. The eve of All Saints' Day received in English the name of All Hallows' Eve, the origin of the word Halloween.

The modern celebration evolved over the centuries and acquired a new dimension in the United States, especially with the arrival of Irish and Scottish immigrants during the 19th century. There, customs such as carved pumpkins, costumes, and house-to-house visits to ask for treats became popularized and transformed. Over time, Halloween became a festival strongly linked to entertainment, consumption, and children's activities, and later spread to other countries, including Mallorca.

The recovery of the Night of the Souls does not necessarily imply rejecting Halloween, but rather remembering that the island also had its own customs for celebrating these dates. In fact, the Mallorca Literària Foundation has promoted family activities and lantern workshops to bring this tradition closer to children and facilitate its transmission between generations.

Fritters, panellets, and sugar rosaries

All Saints' Day is also a gastronomic festival. In Mallorca, fritters, panellets, and candied pumpkin are part of the products associated with these dates. Some of these foods are related to family and religious customs that have endured, with variations, until today.

One of the most characteristic traditions is that of the sugared rosaries. In the past, young godfathers used to give a sweet rosary to their godchildren for All Saints' Day. They were made with panellets or small bread rolls, candied fruit, and a piece of candied pumpkin that served as a medallion. Over time, other sweets have been incorporated, but the custom remains linked to the gift from godfathers to children.

The Night of the Souls, therefore, was much more than a night of fear. The illuminated pumpkins, the candles, the sweets, and the stories passed on to children were part of a unique way of understanding the passage between life and death. Recovering these customs allows us to look at Halloween from another perspective and remember that, before the expansion of the modern festival, Mallorca already had its own lanterns, its legends, and its rituals to accompany the little souls.