Apalpador
The charcoal-burner giant from the mountains of Galicia who, on New Year's Eve, feels the children's bellies and leaves them chestnuts.
- When
- 31 December, New Year's Eve
- Where
- Galicia, especially the mountains of eastern Lugo
The Apalpador is a character from Galician tradition: a charcoal-burner giant who lives in the mountains and who, on the last night of the year, comes down to the hamlets while the children sleep.
He feels their bellies to check whether they have eaten well during the year and leaves them a handful of chestnuts and, sometimes, a small present, wishing them a new year full of food. It is a tradition that has been revived and spread across Galicia in recent decades.