What Does Noche de Brujas Mean? Halloween in Spanish, Explained

Noche de Brujas literally means “Night of Witches” in Spanish. It is a name for Halloween, celebrated on October 31, rather than a different holiday. If you see “Noche de Brujas” on a party invitation, school announcement, or event calendar, the practical English translation is usually simply “Halloween.” Colombia’s Bogotá cultural authority, for example, uses both names for the same celebration.

What does Noche de Brujas mean word for word?

The expression has three parts:

• Noche means “night.”
• De means “of.”
• Brujas is the plural of bruja, meaning “witch.”

Put together, the phrase means “Night of Witches” or, more naturally in English, “Witches’ Night.” An approximate pronunciation for English speakers is NOH-cheh deh BROO-hahs. The Spanish j in brujas has a breathy sound somewhat like English h; pronunciation varies by accent.

In Spanish writing, Noche de Brujas is capitalized as the name of the holiday, with de remaining lowercase. That follows the advice of FundéuRAE's Halloween style guidance. You may also see it preceded by the article la: la Noche de Brujas.

Is Noche de Brujas exactly the same as Halloween?

In ordinary conversation, yes: it names the October 31 holiday associated with costumes, candy, spooky decorations, and parties. The words emphasize witches because they are recognizable Halloween characters. They do not mean that Halloween is exclusively about witches or that everyone celebrating it practices witchcraft.

The English name has a different linguistic history. Halloween developed from All Hallows’ Eve, the evening before All Saints’ Day on November 1. FundéuRAE explains this origin in its Spanish-language guidance. “Noche de Brujas” is a descriptive Spanish name, not a word-for-word translation of “All Hallows’ Eve.”

Halloween is observed on October 31 each year. In 2026, that date falls on Saturday. There is no single worldwide starting hour: individual parades, parties, and trick-or-treating events set their own schedules.

Noche de Brujas, Halloween, or the eve of All Saints’ Day: which wording fits?

Spanish speakers do not all choose the same wording. The audience and setting matter more than finding one supposedly universal translation.

The Cambridge English–Spanish Dictionary includes both Halloween and the more descriptive “eve of All Saints’ Day” wording. For a U.S. bilingual invitation, “Halloween / Noche de Brujas” can make the intended event clear without assuming one regional preference.

How do people celebrate Noche de Brujas?

When the phrase refers to Halloween, it can mean familiar activities such as dressing in costumes, decorating homes, attending themed gatherings, or going door to door for candy. A Colombian government bilingual learning resource explicitly connects Noche de Brujas with October 31 costumes and Halloween expressions.

Those examples do not establish one uniform tradition across Spanish-speaking countries. Halloween may be a major neighborhood event in one place, a commercial party in another, or something a family does not celebrate at all. Even when two places use the same name, customs and attitudes may differ.

Useful expressions for an invitation or conversation

• ¡Feliz Halloween! — “Happy Halloween!” A simple greeting with broad recognition.
• ¡Feliz Noche de Brujas! — “Happy Halloween!” using the Spanish holiday name.
• ¿Qué vas a hacer en Noche de Brujas? — “What are you going to do on Halloween?”
• Fiesta de disfraces — “Costume party.” Useful when describing what is actually planned.
• Truco o trato — One way to say “trick or treat.” Other versions occur in different regions.

FundéuRAE notes that Halloween candy-requesting expressions vary, including dulce o truco and dulce o travesura; in Mexico, pedir calaverita is also used. For a community flyer, choosing the wording familiar to your intended audience is more useful than insisting that only one expression is correct.

Is Noche de Brujas the same as Día de los Muertos?

No. Their dates are close, and some communities observe both, but they have distinct meanings. Halloween, or Noche de Brujas, falls on October 31 and commonly centers on costumes, playful scares, and seasonal entertainment. Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is associated especially with November 1 and 2 and with honoring departed loved ones through remembrance, family gatherings, and ofrendas (altars).

The Smithsonian Institution specifically distinguishes the two holidays. It explains that Day of the Dead traditions draw on Indigenous Mesoamerican practices and later Christian observances. Although skull imagery, costumes, or overlapping community activities can make the holidays appear similar, translating “Día de los Muertos” as “Halloween” would erase an important cultural distinction.

Which phrase should you actually use?

If someone asks what Noche de Brujas means, answer “Halloween” first and add “literally, Night of Witches” if they want the language detail. If you're writing a Spanish-language costume-party invitation, Noche de Brujas is understandable and festive. If you're addressing a mixed U.S. audience, combining it with Halloween may be clearer. If you're discussing All Saints’ Day or Day of the Dead, name those observances separately rather than treating every late-October or early-November tradition as interchangeable.