Gabonzuzi

Gabonzuzi is the Basque word indicating the torch of Christmas. In much of villages of Vasconie one thus indicates the tree trunk which one puts in the chimney the night of Christmas. It is one of the objects and symbols characteristic of the Solstice of winter and the festival of Eguberri or Nativité. One indicates it under several names of which Gabon , Gabon subil , Gabon mukur , Olentzero enbor , Sukubela (Licq in Soule) etc

At Ezkiroz and Elkano one puts three trunks to be burned in the chimney: first is for God, the second for Notre-Dame and the third for the famille.
To Eraso as with Arakil one adds a piece of wood for each family member and for the nécessiteux.
With Olaeta one burns in the chimney a trunk of Hêtre during the last night of the year. One burns at the same time all the wood remaining of the trunk of the last year.

Gabonzuzi has special virtues owing to the fact that it burned the night of Christmas and that of the New Year's Eve. With his fire one prepares the meal of the Christmas Eve to Oiartzun (Gipuzkoa/Guipuzcoa) like with Abadiano and Antzuola.

With Elduain one seeks to make a large fire because, according to what one says to the children, one avoids thus that Olentzero goes down by the chimney, armed with its Faux. It could remove the life with those which live in the house.

At Ezkiroz the trunk devoted to God is placed over the threshold of the principal door of the house, the first New Year's Day or the day of the Saint Antoine. One makes pass over the pets. It is thought that in this way they will not die accidentally the year which comes. One finds that in Oiartzun and Arakil.

Of Agurain one thinks that Gabonzuzi has the capacity to move away the Orage S. people burn it each time the threat is felt.

In the houses preserving a Bull for the reproduction, the following practice has binder:
one puts in the fire of the chimney two sticks, the time of the meal of the Christmas Eve. Then one splits broadest of both by his end Carbonisé E and one places the second there in such a way that it crosses the slit and forms with the first a Croix. One carries this cross in the cattle shed where the bull is, one nails it or one hangs it on a wall or a post. It is thought that thus the bull will not contract during the year the disease known as mamin partidu .

With Aezkoa one collects the Charbon and the Cendre produced by the Combustion of Gabonzuzi . When a Vache with the hardened Mamelle one makes burn these remainders and one applies them to the manner of Fumigation to the udder.

To Amorebieta one says that Gabonzuzi empèche the Belette to harm to the people in service and his animals. They take care that fire during the Christmas Eve does not die out, they thus seek to prevent that somebody of the family dies during the year.

At Bedia one preserves the trunk and his coals. In this way one thinks of prolonging the Bénédiction on the house.

At Ibarrune when it burns in the chimney, its ashes are preserved until the Saint Etienne. This day there they are carried in the cultivated fields and are distributed on the ground by making crosses. It is thought that thus the animals Nuisible S will die.

With Licq, the Gabonzuzi supports the birth of females in the herd of Brebis.

At Eraso when somebody dies, one puts Gabonzuzi beside his body.

Etymology

Gabonzuzi is one of the terms to indicate the " trunk which one makes burn the Christmas Eve " out of Basque.

Note

There does not exist kind ( male , female ) in the Basque language and all the letters decide. There is thus no association as for French or WHICH decides KI .

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