Neither an Americanized trend nor a lost tradition: this is how All Saints' Day and Halloween coexist in the Balearic Islands

PalmOne of the most historically rooted festivals in the Balearic Islands is All Saints' Day, a time when families remember their deceased relatives and leave floral offerings at the cemetery. This tradition is celebrated between November 1st and 2nd, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, respectively. For almost two decades, however, the gastronomy and traditions surrounding All Saints' Day have been declining in favor of Halloween, the quintessential American holiday imported from Ireland. Year after year, this is a topic of debate and conversation, as there is a perception that the local festival is being lost while the foreign one is gaining ground. According to the owner of Las Palmeras, a flower shop with 40 years of experience in Palma, All Saints' Day remains one of the most important campaigns of the year for florists, although they do perceive a change in customs, especially among younger generations.

"The other day, a customer herself remarked that she thought she was part of the last generation who would sell flowers and greenery a few days before All Saints' Day to trick the grave," she says. In this regard, she points out that she doesn't consider it an economic issue, but rather that younger generations and families simply spend more on Halloween costumes and decorations than on rosaries and floral arrangements.

Along the same lines, PIMEM's press officer, Joan Vives, confirmed that, according to the organization's data, visits to cemeteries are declining year after year. "It doesn't mean they've stopped, but the trend, compared to a few decades ago, is downward," Vives points out. In this regard, they believe there are several factors affecting this change in customs, such as the secularization of society, the introduction of other holidays and cultures, globalization, etc. Another of the star products of this time of year are panellets (small almond cakes) and rosaries, about which the association highlights a "clear difference" between the Part Forana (rural areas) and Palma. Bakers believe that in the villages this tradition remains almost "intact" and celebrate their sales. In contrast, in Palma, consumption is almost negligible and increasingly declining, PIMEM comments.

Meanwhile, shops selling Halloween costumes and accessories are also noticing the rise in popularity of this celebration, especially in Palma, as they consider it a major draw for young people who go out in costume these days. "We start our Halloween campaign in September, but it's not until the last week that sales really take off," says the manager of the Eurocarnavales shop in Palma.

"On Thursday and Friday, we had a huge influx of people into the store, especially teenagers," she notes. She laments that the bulk of sales are concentrated in the last few days, as it's more difficult to satisfy customers due to the volume of work and demand. "Regarding families and young children, she also points out that there are many sales, but since the adults usually take care of it, they plan ahead and come a few weeks in advance," she explains. "Most of our customers are young people and families, since children generally like to dress up; for them, it's a game," she says.

Halloween or All Souls' Night, how have the Balearic Islands adapted to this imported holiday?

But why has this change occurred, and why is it a topic of conversation and debate every year since its inception? According to anthropologist Marcel Pich, this gradual replacement has happened because the festival originating in the Americas has filled a void. In this sense, Pich believes that the rise of Halloween is largely due to the revival of traditional All Saints' Day celebrations (All Souls' Night, the Castañada, sugar rosaries, lanterns, etc.) that had either disappeared or...

"Halloween has been a catalyst for recovering or strengthening traditional celebrations," he points out. The anthropologist argues that "it's not until we perceive something as disappearing that we begin to reclaim and point out external interference. It might seem like an intrusion, a tacky party, or an 'Americanism,' but it's no more so than many other inputs of what we call cultural globalization," the expert notes. "Ultimately, these inputs impact local cultures, and it's these local cultures that end up transforming them. In fact, there are already 'hybrid' manifestations like the lantern festival celebrated in many municipalities of the Part Forana," he comments.