Donostia-San Sebastián. To tell the truth, December is a special month at Basque clubs around the world, when meetings and celebrations coincide including International Day of Euskera, St Frances Xavier, Navarre Day, and the end of the school year, Christmas with the arrival of the Olentzero, Three Kings and/or Santa, various anniversary as well as New Year celebrations. Many clubs celebrate more than one at once. In the following lines, a summary of some of these events in festive atmospheres that we have learned of and will lead us to the end of the year.
On Sunday, December 1st, the International Day of Euskera was celebrated at the Gure Txoko Basque Club in Sydney, with friends and members of the Basque club. The Colectividad Vasca de Chile Basque club in Santiago, organized a Pintxo contest; they also celebrated ENE at the Eusko Aterpea Basque Club in General Rodríguez, in Argentina, in conjunction with their end of year dinner; and in Brazil at the Gernika Kutun of the Eusko Alkartasuna club in Sao Paulo, they celebrated along with the club’s 60th anniversary.
On December 2nd, the Basque club in Madrid celebrated with a traditional “Navarrese meal” in honor of St Frances Xavier and Navarre Day. On the 3rd, the official day of ENE, those celebrating the day were members of Gure Txokoa in Azul, as well as those at Euzko Etxea in La Plata and the Basque Language and Culture Lectureship at UNAM, with the final Theater Rally based on Basque literature, with the participation of Basque writer, Eider Rodriguez. In Belgium, the Brussels Basque Club recorded for ETB and welcomed both the Olentzero and Mari Domingi at the clubhouse among singing and Christmas carols with help of the local Txalaparta choir through the streets of Brussels.
On December 6th, members of the Basque club in Viedma and Carmen de Patagones celebrated its end of year party; and on the 7th at the Itxaropen Basque Club in Saladillo, as part of the club’s ENE program, the club and the city paid tribute to Raul de los Hoyos, local musician of Basque heritage. In Chacabuco, they celebrated ENE and organized a Mus Tournament along with the club’s 30th anniversary celebration; in Palma in the Balearic Islands, the Artea Basque Club celebrated Navarre Day with the presence and entertainment provided by the Elizagoien Ahizpak Trikitilaris who came expressly for the occasion from Navarre.
On Sunday, December 8th there was a Christmas celebration at the Borah High in Boise, Idaho with the participation of Txantxangorriak and Basque dancers to later continue on to the Christmas and Olentzero party at the Basque club accompanied by music, gifts and a great atmosphere. On the same day, the program organized by the Basque Cultural Center in San Francisco, California included mass in Basque and a nativity play, and presents; at Txoko Ona in Homedale, ID, they celebrated the arrival of the Olentzero and a children’s party with dancing, songs and much revelry. In Buenos Aires, members and friends of the Eusko Kultur Etxea celebrated ENE sharing a BBQ, songs, games and high temperatures. On Friday, December 13th the Athletic Peña at the Euskal Etxea in Madrid gathered at the Kupela Cider House for its traditional Christmas dinner, and in Tres Arroyos, Argentina, members of the Hiru Erreka Basque Club celebrated their end of year party, concluding their annual events for the year with the club’s 20th anniversary. The Euskal Etxea in Barcelona welcomed the Olentzero at an event where the children were the focus of the party.
On December 14th, members and friends and family in New York celebrated their traditional Santo Tomas festivities at the Eusko Etxea with txistorra, as well as the Olentzero as part of their Christmas party. In Boston, friends of the New England Basque club wanted to end the year with a Pintxopote with songs, pintxos and all of the paraphernalia; in Buenos Aires, the Iparraldeko Euskal Etxea organized another edition of its Olentzero Pesta, where Cristina Cordara was remembered, long-time friend and active member who recently passed away. In Brussels, the event included songs of Atahualpa Yupanqui sung by Belgian of Basque origin, Jean-Louis Aisse; in París, the Euskal Etxea organized an children’s event with a nativity show, welcoming the Olentzero and a fair of Basque products and gifts in the afternoon; in London, the Basque Society organized a Christmas party for children, families and adults along with a fair of Basque products with live music, dancing and great atmosphere; in Madrid, the Olentzero made his usual annual visit to the Basque club with gifts, live music, dancing, songs and generous servings of excitement and joy.
On Sunday, December 15th in Montreal, Quebec, the Euskal Etxea was busy organizing its well-deserved reception of the Olentzero that also included songs, gifts and performances; in La Plata, Argentina, the traditional end of year lunch took place with the popular BBQ contest. On Thursday, December 19th the Basque Orfeon of the Madrid Euskal Etxea will hold its traditional Christmas Concert at the Church of St Ignatius. On Friday, the 20th the Euskaltzaleak Euskaltegi in Buenos Aires will celebrate its last event of the year showing the 70 Binladens film and hold a get together with pintxos, music and great euskaltzale atmosphere.
On Saturday, December 21st the Basque Club in Mexico City has programmed crafts and games for the children thanks to Amaia and Leire, followed by a visit of the Olentzero, who will speak to the children for a while and then give them gifts; at the Eusko Etxea in Caracas, Venezuela, they will celebrate their traditional Christmas dinner, this year in conjunction with the 80th anniversary of Basque exile in the country along with a corresponding tribute to its protagonists. The Basque club in Madrid, on Saturday, December 21st will hold its traditional txistorrada for Saint Thomas with a gift of one txistorra pintxo to its members and friends that attend; at the Boise Basque Club they will celebrate their annual Sheepherder’s Ball to raise money for families and individuals in need in the city of the trees.
In California, on Sunday December 22nd the Euskal Etxea in Chino will celebrate its Christmas party; in Madrid, the Basque Orfeon of Madrid will sing at the mass at the Church of Saint Ignatius. On December 25th Christmas Mass in Chino followed by a hamaiketako and informal gathering and festivities at the Centro Basco Restaurant. On December 31st New Year’s Eve Dinner at the Basque Cultural Center in San Francisco, as well as in Salt Lake City, organized by the Basque Club of Utah.
(These are only a sample of the activities at many of our Basque clubs in December. If your club does not appear, please let us know by emailing info@euskalkultura.com)
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