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This past Saturday, the Ontario Basque Club celebrated its third annual Mikel Deuna or Saint Michael’s festivity. “Many of our ancestors were baptized in the church of San Miguel, one of the Basque saints, that’s why we thought of celebrating it,” explained Lisa Corcostegui, president of the Euskal Etxea, to EuskalKultura.com. A little more than 60 people gathered at the Club to enjoy mass, dances, and lunch.

Ontario, OR. The celebration was supposed to be held at the park next to the Ontario Basque Club, but a strong winds made the organizers move everything inside. Yet, this year’s event has been the most crowded one so far.  In 2013 it rained heavily, and last year's was “a small celebration,” and this past Saturday over 60 people, some of which even came from Boise, Idaho, gathered to enjoy the day with the Ontario Basques.

Aita Antton Egiguren, Parochial Vicar at  Boise's St. John’s Cathedral, was one of them. And for the first time, the local priest Joseph T. Mudakodiyil also joined the Eucharist that was celebrated both in English and Basque. Aita Joseph also sang in Euskara, something that the attendants appreciated, as Corcostegui pointed out. During the mass, as the Eucharistic acclamation, Daniella Tipton and Enrike and Lisa Corcostegui performed Mikel Deunaren ezpata dantza.

San Migel txiki

After mass, and once the wind had stopped, the crew moved outside to see the full Ezpata Dantza. As the tradition dictates, there has to be a San Migel txiki, or little Saint Michael, embodied by a child. This year’s protagonist was Maite Stringer, daughter of Sage Benintendi-Stringer, who is in charge of the Beti Alai dance group. Maite took the baton from Luke Barinaga.

Lunch was served at 1:00 p.m. and consisted of salad, paella, txorizo sandwiches, rice pudding, and a beverage. And even if the program read that games, including a txinga competition, were going to be held after the meal, organizers ended up skipping that part, as people were already leaving. Overall, as Corcostegui said, they had a “very nice day” and are looking forward to celebrating it again next year.