Chestnut trees are one of the most common trees in and around Ourense. These trees produce a fruit that has a spiky texture on the outside and a chewy nut on the inside. The local chestnut harvest always occurs in the beginning of November because this is when the chestnuts fall off the trees. If you walk into the woods at this time of year, there will be ripe chestnuts all over the ground.
As a result of this natural harvest of chestnuts, Ourense celebrates a holiday known as Magosto. One of the teachers at my school told me about this holiday. She said that the two or three days leading up to Magosto are one big party, and that everybody goes out to eat with their friends at restaurants and in the woods.
Ourense is well-known for its chestnut trees, so the locals here cherish the opportunity to celebrate one of the most important symbols of their home.
This tradition could not exist without the natural environment, as it developed around the natural cycle of the chestnuts budding in spring, ripening for months, and then falling off the trees as fall turns into winter. As such, the preservation of the trees and forests in the area is important to maintain the tradition of Magosto.
