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Postcard entitled “Romeria-Erromeria” (Pilgrimage festivities), illustrated by the painter José Arrue.

Summer is the time of festivities and dancing is part of those celebrations. Even though few dancers are seen in the town squares today, it was not so long ago that people wanted to dance, but were banned from doing so “in hold” or waltzing as it was also known.

During the Basque Festivities organised in Areatza-Villaro (Bizkaia) in 1897, J. Larrea, the chronicler for El Nervión newspaper, wrote the following on 12 September: “… and as regards the social mores of Arratia, they cannot be overemphasized enough; suffice it to say that waltzing was forbidden during the open-air festivities as part of the pilgrimage in Arteaga (Artea), and it is the same case in this charter town, as the “mutilleks” (young men) were not allowed to hold the “neskatillaks” (young women) in their arms to dance to the sound of the drum”.

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