A festival celebrated in the Basque Country long before Halloween existed
On October 31, throughout the Basque Country, Gau Beltza (Black Night) or Arimen Gaua (Night of Souls) is celebrated — a night where mystery, magic, and fear take center stage.
Many people believe that Halloween is a holiday imported from the United States, foreign to our traditions. However, that’s not the case: for centuries these celebrations have been deeply rooted in the Basque Country, though they faded over the last few decades and are now regaining strength.
In the past, the Night of Souls marked the arrival of winter and served to remember ancestors. According to ancient beliefs, on that night the worlds of the living and the dead would meet.
Children would dress up in sheets and old clothes and carry hollowed-out pumpkins with a candle inside. With them, they illuminated the night, frightened passersby, and at the same time guided the souls of the departed with their small light.
Many people believe that Halloween is a holiday imported from the United States, foreign to our traditions. However, that’s not the case: for centuries these celebrations have been deeply rooted in the Basque Country, though they faded over the last few decades and are now regaining strength.
In the past, the Night of Souls marked the arrival of winter and served to remember ancestors. According to ancient beliefs, on that night the worlds of the living and the dead would meet.
Children would dress up in sheets and old clothes and carry hollowed-out pumpkins with a candle inside. With them, they illuminated the night, frightened passersby, and at the same time guided the souls of the departed with their small light.
Dans la seconde moitié du XXᵉ siècle, cette coutume a disparu, mais ces dernières années, elle a ressurgi dans de nombreux villages. À Donostia / Saint-Sébastien, par exemple, les associations de quartier et les groupes culturels organisent des défilés de costumes, des contes, des ateliers de citrouilles, des animations de rue, de la musique et de la danse.
Aujourd’hui, la Nuit des Âmes est une occasion très spéciale pour se réunir, raviver notre tradition orale et accueillir l’hiver. À la lumière des citrouilles et au son des chants populaires, les enfants et les jeunes redécouvrent la richesse de notre culture, unissant l’obscurité et la lumière, le passé et le présent.
Aujourd’hui, la Nuit des Âmes est une occasion très spéciale pour se réunir, raviver notre tradition orale et accueillir l’hiver. À la lumière des citrouilles et au son des chants populaires, les enfants et les jeunes redécouvrent la richesse de notre culture, unissant l’obscurité et la lumière, le passé et le présent.
