We had a week in Spain recently with friends Sue & John, encompassing All Hallows.

There was a bit of nascent 'trick or treating' going on in the shape of some supermarkets with paper face shapes on pumpkins & some English lads wandering about with a dozen eggs to pelt people with. Presumably “Tricks”?

We have our favourite markets & a special one on Saturdays. When we got there there was no market: 'Todos Santos Festival.'

Now, we’re not particularly religious but we’ve found out that All Saints Day was originally celebrated in May. The religious festival was moved to November to offset the pagan festival of Halloween.

Like many other countries, Spain has expanded the meaning of All Saints Day as a day to remember all the dead, not just Christian martyrs. The people of Spain celebrate All Saints Day with numerous traditions including offerings and feasts.

"No market?" Said we Brits abroad, "we’ll have a little tootle to the coast."

All shops were shut. Then we came to a standstill. The traffic stopped on a number of occasions by very zealous Policia Locale.

Must be car booters, our car load concluded. What else would you do on a holiday? But why is everyone in Sunday best carrying cleaning stuff, the more observant noted?

What was actually happening was, as a family, on this day, everyone goes down to the cementerio & basically gives their relatives' grave or tomb a jolly good “spring” clean.

Then it’s off to Church, then a family meal in a restaurant or at home.

I think you can keep your tricks, this was a great way to treat things right!