All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, the first winter celebrations have particular religious and culinary traditions. Lets ignore the religious traditions as these are in some way dealt with in another article, and lets offer above all to our visitors, some of the culinary delicacies of Umbria. First of all, the "maccheroni dolci" (sweet pasta). They are a typical dish prepared for these two celebrations, but some families prepare it for Christmas Eve. It is long strips of pasta, like "tagliatelle" but made with only flour and water, and to it is added, sugar, cinnamon, a little breadcrumbs, walnuts and cocoa; some add a liqueur called "alkermes" and honey. This dish should help one put up with the sacrifices made on the eve of All Saints' Day, however, to eat it is no hardship or sacrifice. "Le fave dei morti", are small white biscuits made from sweet almonds, butter, flour, sugar,a little cinnamon and eggs. In some cook books these biscuits are connected to the offerings that the Romans made during the funeral dinners to placate the Lemurs. It is not clear from what source this information derives, and we do not know if these delicious biscuits have the power to placate the spirits, but they surely soothe the soul. Another culinary custom connected with these celebrations, are "fave con le cotiche" (broadbeans and pork rind) or "fave" on their own. Dried broadbeans are soaked in water, then boiled and flavoured in various ways if they are to be cooked with the "cotiche" or only with a little olive oil if cooked on their own.

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