Photo: Proabi Gran Canaria

Although more and more children and young people are adopting Halloween customs, in the Canary Islands there are still many who keep alive the tradition of Los Finaos, the typical celebration of the islands for the night of October 31st.

In order to know the origin of Los Finaos, it is necessary to go back several decades ago, when the families met to converse and honor the memory of the deceased while they ate seasonal products, such as chestnuts, nuts, etc. Unfortunately, this tradition has been almost forgotten for years, and it is now that we can see a real concern on the part of neighbours and public administrations to recover a custom that not only serves to create links with the community, but also has a religious, spiritual and historical meaning that must not be overlooked.

In this way, for example, several cities in Gran Canaria organised specific activities on 31 October. This is the case of Teror, where the city council together with the city hall of Gran Canaria prepared a beautiful evening at Finca de Osorio, with musical performance included, in which residents and attendees were able to taste products, talk and remember, for a few moments, their deceased. Also, in Agüimes the town's central square became a meeting point and the place where the congregants could eat roasted corn, drink wine and taste some typical sweets such as mantecados and polvorones. In addition, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria the play Don Juan Tenorio was performed, an act that has already become a tradition by itself.

For all this, if you come to visit the Canary Islands on these dates and you want to know firsthand the local customs, we recommend you request a cheap rental car in Gran Canaria or on any other island to move around the different cities. You will experience personally the magic of being part of a tradition that mixes gastronomy, folklore and religion.

Next year, let yourself be caught by Los Finaos and discover with your cheap rental car in Gran Canaria one of the best kept secrets of the islanders. You won't regret it!