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Donostia-San Sebastian. January 20^th  is San Sebastian day, day of the Tamborrada and festivities in the city of Donostia-San Sebastian.  Beginning at midnight and lasting for 24 hours, thousands of tamborreros run the streets of the capital in all of the neighborhoods, districts, playing  pieces created especially for this day in the 19^th century by local composer, Raimundo Sarriegi.  As other customs and festivities in the Basque Country. San Sebastian also has sister festivities and Tamborradas in the Diaspora, a reflection and echo among Basques around the world, for example, although not the only ones, in Necochea, Argentina and in Mexico City, Mexico.

[Euskaletxeak.eus has published a video by the mayor of Donostia, Eneko Goia, directed especially to the Diaspora that can be seen here]

In Argentina, the Euzko Etxea Basque Club in Necochea organizes annually a week of activities to celebrate San Sebastian.  Now it is summer in the Southern Cone and the heat usually accompanies this celebration. Necochea, a touristic city situated along the sea that attracts many neighbors and visitors celebrated its Festival of Collectivities from the 16^th to the 19^th, and at the Basque club’s stand they held a Tamborrada exhibition to warm up for San Sebastian week January 20^th-25^th. The San Sebastian daily program includes mass, trikipoteo at the city’s center, Pintxo Eguna, a dance and the main attraction the Tamborrada.  The main hall at the clubhouse will be decorated to look like the Konstituzio Plaza in San Sebastian, and a huge Tamborrarada, the fruit of much work, excitement, sweat and spirit of the Basques in Necochea will parade.

In Mexico City, they also take this Donosti festival very seriously.  They gather at the Euskal Etxea for dinner with a special menu, and after dinner there is a Tamborrada that allows people to join in from their seats at the table.  There have been rehearsals and once the day arrives, everyone is ready once again to carry out the club’s traditions and customs. Since the 20^th is on a Monday this year, a workday in Mexico, the celebration will take place on Saturday the 18th instead with tamborreros directed by Alfredo Jover playing the traditional pieces by Sarriegi with the excitement of those attending the Basque-Mexican version of this festivity.

Dinner and Tamborrada at the Mexico Euskal Etxea last Saturday at its fronton

We know these are not the only San Sebastian celebrations at Basque clubs around the world. Other events that repeat annually are those at the Madrid Euskal Etxea, that celebrated its adult Tamborrada yesterday on the night of the 19^th, after dinner at the cider house restaurant, Zerain, and its Children's Tamborrada that takes place this year next Sunday, on the 26^th at 1:15pm in front of the Euskal Etxea.  Also in Madrid the Tamborrada at the Jai Alai Restaurant, is a tradition that gathered 400 people yesterday for San Sebastian Day to the sounds of the March of San Sebastian outside the establishment.

In Valladolid the festivities and Tamborrada organized by the Gure Txoko Basque Club took place on Saturday the 18^th with dinner at the clubhouse followed by a Tamborrada.  Also in Paris, the Euskal Etxea became the site of a tamborrero celebration directed by the baton of Jean-Marie Guezala.  Other tamborradas that are celebrated every year are those at the Eusko Etxea in New York, and the Eusko Etxea in Caracas; in Shanghai, the local Basque club organizes a nice Tamborrada since 2011 through the streets of the old city, however we have not received news of the latter's program this year.  In Argentina, in addition to that of in Necochea the Euskal Etxea in Cañuelas is also known for its Tamborrada, although it takes place the week after Holy Week coinciding with the annual celebration of Aberri Eguna, and others in increasing numbers with drummers performing in Buenos Aires, Villa Maria, Rosario, Bahia Blanca…

As in the lyric of the March of San Sebastian, Bagera! (We are!).

(If you would like to send us information about other Tamborradas or events to celebration San Sebastian, please email info@euskalkultura.com)