NOVEMBER 2 IN BRIANZA: “BONES OF THE DEAD” AT CASSOEULA

November 2 is the day of commemoration of all the faithful departed, commonly known as All Souls' Day. Like any popular festival, the way of celebrating it varies according to the region - and, in Brianza, it is mainly enjoyed at the table.

On the night of November 2, according to tradition, the dead would return to Earth after a long journey. In the past, Brianzole grandmothers told how happy they were as children on the evening of November 1st: after dinner, the little ones placed a basket full of chestnuts on the table, cooked in water or on fire, which they left there so that the deceased could come and eat them during the night. These were not scary ghosts, but missing loved ones – grandparents, uncles, neighbors – who had shared this same kitchen during their lifetime. Nothing to do with Halloween zombies or vampires: it was a family celebration, warm, full of affection, more reminiscent of Day of the Muertos Mexican. It must be said that Brianza maintains a strong link with its Celtic roots and the customs of Samhain, this festival marking the end of summer and the beginning of winter, a true New Year for ancient peoples.

The featured pig

On November 2, in this land between Monza and Lake Como, the dead were honored not only with prayer and a visit to the cemetery, but also with a good shared meal. The menu, faithful to the season, highlighted local products. The emblematic dish of that day was boiled pork head — a rustic recipe, now a little forgotten, but tasty when prepared well. Cooking had to last at least four hours in cold water flavored with bay leaf. In some families, it was served with chickpeas, and it also appeared in certain variations of the great Lombard classic of Day of the Dead: the cassoeula.

This rich stew brought together ribs, rind, sometimes pork trotters, small sausages (the delicious verzini) and lots of kale, the verza, which is just starting to be in season. For many inhabitants of Brianza, November 2 is still the day when the first cassoeula of the year is prepared – a sign of the arrival of the cold.

Day of the Dead sweets

Impossible to imagine this day without desserts. The most typical are the death bone (“bones of the dead”), biscuits made from almonds and egg whites, hard and crunchy, with the appearance of bones. Their firm texture has earned them the local nickname “toothbreaker,” but their taste is irresistible. Even more popular are the pan dei morti, large soft biscuits prepared with cocoa, cinnamon, sometimes nutmeg and cloves, dried fruits, raisins, biscuit pieces and egg whites. These oval breads, dark and fragrant, are eaten at the end of a meal or at breakfast, and in the past, they were offered to children - a symbolic gesture to share the memory of ancestors.

Chestnuts, symbol of the season

Finally, chestnuts completed this feast, often accompanied by a glass of red wine. They were cooked in a pan over the fire or boiled. Many also prepared the castagnaccio, this rustic cake made with chestnut flour. In the region, dried fruits were also strung on a string to form the firùn, real chestnut necklaces preserved all winter and enjoyed in spring, softened in a bowl of milk. In Monza, these garlands were still sold in March, during the feast of the Madonna delle Grazie — a beautiful way to celebrate the continuity of seasons and traditions.

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