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Today is the eve of San Sebastian Day.  Tonight at midnight the streets of Donostia will fill for the Tamborrada festivities, same in Azpeitia.  San Sebastian Day will also be celebrated in Tafalla as well as other places in the Basque Country, each one in its own way.  In the Diaspora the festivities will also be celebrated in places like Madrid, Barcelona, Murcia, Necochea, New York, Buenos Aires, London, Shanghai, Caracas and Paris, along with in Cañuelas, and Bahia Blanca….Gora Donostia!

Donostia- San Sebastian. Third week of the new year and it’s time for San Sebastian Day. As on every January 20th the capital of Gipuzkoa is preparing to celebrate the Tamborrada and San Sebastian Day. For many in Donostia, after tonight’s dinner at home, in a gastronomic society, or with friends in a restaurant they will eagerly await midnight to welcome this special day with the chords, the beats of the drums and the lyrics of the march composed by Master Sarriegi in the 19th century: “Sebastian bat bada zeruan, Donosti bat bakarra munduan, hura da santua, ta hau da herria, hora zer dan gure Donostia,” with text by Serafin Baroja, Pio Baroja’s father.

Rehearsals in dozens of associations, schools and societies began in the last weeks of last year. In places in the Diaspora like Mexico City and Madrid, the drummers at Basque clubs have practices for two weeks. They join the growing number of Basque clubs around the world that now celebrate this traditional Donostia festival every year, which they embrace and is taking root in new countries and Basque clubs.

In Argentina, FEVA and some Basque club organize Tamborrada workshops, some of which are very well attended, to respond to the increasing demand to participate in Tamborradas in places like Necochea, Cañuelas, Bahia Blanca, San Nicolas and in Buenos Aires.

Among the clubs around the world that are organizing Tamborrada events, including the afore mentioned in Mexico City, Necochea, and Bahia Blanca, are the Basque club in Shanghai, China, Caracas, Venezuela; and New York City, also in Barcelona, Murcia, Valladolid, Paris and London. In the British capital events are a little more improvised with the help of Donostia natives or Basque residing or visiting the city on the Thames.

Following are three videos, the first was broadcast in the last few hours by the Mayor of Donostia, Eneko Goia. The others are from last year’s Tamborrada at the Umore Ona Society in the Donostia neighborhood of Gros. This Tamborrada that has also incorporated three gigantes named Eguzki, Ilargi, and Lurra. The three of them traveled to Jaialdi in Boise, Idaho in 2015 as part of the Donostia Irrintzi giants.

The San Sebastian March performed by the Orfeon Txiki in the video shared by Mayor Goia

Tamborrada at the Umore Ona Society through the streets of Donostia in 2017 (video EuskalKultura.com)

San Sebastian March at 2:30am 2017 (video EuskalKultura.com)

Some Tamborradas will take place on Sunday in the Diaspora including the Tamborrada Txiki at the Madrid Euskal Etxea. The adult tamborrada will take place tonight though at the Zerain Cider House. New York’s festivities will take place next week as to not conflict with other New York events (see our agenda).

In Argentina, Necochea's San Sebastian festivals and Tamborrada will be also next week end, as this week end the city is celebrating its Foreign Communities Festival, where the Basque Tamborrada will be also performed.

On a day like today, EuskalKultura.com that is headquartered in San Sebastian, will join in on the events with the other citizens of the city and the Diaspora to join in singing “Bagera” at midnight to kick off the party. Gora Donostia!