- On All Saints’ Eve, this village in Córdoba celebrates its traditional Melon Lantern Procession.
- The youngest members of the family carry on a tradition passed down from parents to children: they carve the melons, light them from within and parade through the streets of the village to the castle.
When All Saints’ Eve arrives, the small village of Iznájar in Córdoba lights up in a very special way. With their own hands, families transform the small melons that farmers keep at the end of the harvest – known as ‘zocatos’ – into unique lanterns. They then parade through the town’s streets until they reach the castle to ward off the town’s evil spirits.
The ‘zocatos’ are the smallest and least ripe melons left at the end of the season. Instead of throwing them away, in the past they were set aside to be turned into lanterns when the time came to remember the dead and the spirits.
The mayor of Iznájar, Lope Ruiz, emphasises that the Melon Lantern Festival “is one of the events that best reflects the character of our town, and we are particularly delighted that it continues to be led by the youngest members of the community. In fact, it’s also a way of ensuring that this tradition will continue for many years to come”.
Ghosts, witches, spooky faces and even cartoon characters or superheroes, designed down to the smallest detail. They all help to drive away any evil spirits and lost souls that might be in the town. The crafting process is entirely handmade. Each family hollows out the melon, carves its rind and places a candle or a small light source inside. And when night falls and the candle is lit, the designs come to life and each little melon becomes a small lantern that lights the way.
After the night-time procession, these little lights were placed by the doors of houses and on window grilles to protect the homes. In this way, the lantern accompanied families both inside and outside their homes.
Over the generations, children have kept this tradition alive as part of Iznájar’s collective memory. What began as a way of using up the melons left over at the end of the harvest has become a family celebration that brings together neighbours of all ages every year.
The Melon Lantern Parade will take place on 31 October. The day will begin at 5.00 pm in the Plaza de Abastos with a charity hot chocolate event in aid of the Local Branch of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC).
At 6.00 pm, the lantern parade will begin. Families will walk through the streets of Iznájar and the Villa neighbourhood until they reach the Castle, where the procession will end.
On Halloween night itself, when illuminated pumpkins take centre stage across much of the country, Iznájar maintains its own unique tradition for this time of year. Here, it is the melons that are lit up, and the children are responsible for keeping the All Saints’ Day tradition alive.
A night of twinkling lights, carved melons and families strolling through the streets of La Villa. A unique way of celebrating a tradition which, generation after generation, continues to serve the same purpose: to ward off evil spirits.
And for the bravest among you…
Anyone fancying a late night out in Iznájar can round off the lantern tour with another, less conventional visit: its cemetery, situated at the foot of the castle and overlooking the reservoir, is considered one of the most beautiful in the whole of Andalusia. Amidst the gravestones and silence, with the reservoir as a backdrop, it is the perfect setting for anyone seeking a slightly spookier experience on All Saints’ Night.