Halloween in Oviedo

In Oviedo, Halloween is celebrated with Asturian spirit and Celtic roots, merging the ancient Samhain tradition with cultural and family events that fill the historic center with lights, costumes and legends.

Among the most popular events is the free theatrical tour “Shadows and Lights in Oviedo” — an evening walk through the old town filled with Asturian mythology, local tales and traditions linked to October 31st and November 1st.

The activity, organized by the Oviedo Enjoys Culture Employment Workshop and the Pumarín Theater Training School, is part of the City Council’s cultural and tourism initiatives. It is especially designed for families with children aged 6 to 12 and their guardians.

Starting from the Cathedral Square (next to the statue of Alfonso II the Chaste), the route lasts about 60 minutes and includes stops at emblematic sites such as Tránsito de Santa Bárbara, Corrada del Obispo, San Vicente and Plaza Porlier. It will take place on Friday, October 31 and Monday, November 3, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.

Free activity · Organized by the City Council of Oviedo — Employment Department.

Samhain: roots and tradition

Samhain (from Gaelic Samhuinn, “end of summer”) was an ancient Celtic celebration marking the close of the harvest and the arrival of winter. On that night, it was believed that a bridge opened between the world of the living and the spirits, so fires and lights were lit to guide ancestors and ward off evil.

In Asturias, as in Galicia, Ireland and Scotland, Samhain survives through rural and festive customs that inspire the way Halloween is celebrated today. Streets glow with carved pumpkins, a practice that descends from the old “turnip lanterns” once used to represent the souls of the dead and placed on windows or paths to protect the home.

The famous “trick or treat” tradition also has Celtic roots: children would visit homes asking for offerings or sweets in exchange for prayers for the departed or to avoid mischief from wandering spirits. Over the centuries, this custom spread abroad and returned in new form, but its essence —the link between festivity and remembrance— lives on in Oviedo’s Samhain.

Today, Oviedo revives this heritage with family workshops, cultural tours and storytelling inspired by Asturian mythology — xanas, trasgus and ancient legends — reminding us that long before modern Halloween, the Celtic north already celebrated the most magical night of the year.