Chestnuts: Looking to warm your hands in the cold Madrid winter? In Madrid we know that autumn has arrived when we see the first chestnut stalls appear. Usually they start to settle in November when it’s starting to get cold. People used to buy them to warm their hands. Today, chestnuts are a sign that Christmas is not  too far away and they give you a kind of cosy, warm feeling while strolling through the illuminated streets of Madrid. Being a “castañera” originally was a woman´s trade that started in the 19th century and was handed over from generation to generation. The ladies, who were well known in the quarter