euskalkultura.eus

 Donostia-San Sebastian.  Picking up the trail of cards from Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Brazilian Basque club/Eusko Brasildar Etxea, wrote us in Euskara, Portuguese, and Spanish, Boas Festas e feliz ano novo! accompanied by a picture of the Olentzero and a part of the well-known song by Elissamburu Urrundik ikusten dut… (De longe eu vejo…).  From Hendaia, Mirari Manterola, from the Mutxiko dance group send a message of "congratulating the team at EuskalKultura.com for the interesting work that you do.”

From Pehuajo, Argentina, Clelia Gorri wishes “much happiness forever,” along with “peace and security, strength and courage,” “above all with your feet planted firmly on the ground.”  From Corpus Christi, in the northern argentinean province of Misiones, Olga Leiciaga sent “a Basque-Argentinean hug,” and a wish for a Happy New Year “in unity, peace, happiness, love, and a prosperous New Year and …of course a toast! With cider or with wine!.” From Coronel Moldes, in the province of Cordoba, Marita Echave says Zorionak eta Urte Berri On and the words “it will be an honor to build 2012 together.”

From Lima, Peru, Raul Noblecilla, new president of the Basque club sent “a big hug for Christmas and hoping that 2012 is a good year for all.”  From Buenos Aires, Ekin Argitaletxea says “in this special moment for the Basque people, we want to send you our best wishes and congratulations and may 2012 be prosperous.”  From the Basque club in General Rodriquez, the card from Raul Taretto says “Gabon Zoriontsua eta Urte Berri on bihotz bihotzez.  From Vitoria-Gasteiz, Benan Oregi shares photos of the V World Congress of Basque Collectivities, which serves as their gift from the Olentzero.

The Navarrese magazine Guaixe and the Bierrik Foundation, in Altsasu-Alsasua, say: “in the face of so many cuts, light, excitement and work are our compass.”  From the Center Gure Ametza in Rio Cuarto, a smiling Olentzero wishes us a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  From San Ignacio, in Misiones, Carlos Alberto Galarza sends “warm regards and Happy Holidays! From Vicente Lopez, in the province of Buenos Aires, Graciela Iriondo wishes us “God’s Kingdom on earth,” “a hug of peace.” From Iruña-Pamplona, Udalbide-Udalbitza, accompanies its wishes with a quote by Seneca: Gizaki ernatuaren ametsa esperantza eta ilusioa direlako.

From Buenos Aires, the card from the Ekin Dance group, directed by Aitor Alava, wishes us Zorionak.  From the area of Bidasoa, Txapitela sent us a christmas tree covered in good wishes and hope.  From Laprida, Maria Ester Arrondo, tells the story of the Olentzero in her card.  From Coronel Pringles and its Basque center Eusko Biltzar, Juanita Zubizarreta repeated in Basque and Spanish her good wishes for a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year.  Carlos Sagastume, from Suipacha we think, sends an animated card with good wishes.  From Rosario, Zazpirak Bat, a club who will celebrate its centennial in 2012, caught our attention by inviting us to attend the event as well as the Argentinean Semana Nacional Vasca 2012. 

From China, the Basque club of Shanghai sends a Christmas card, in which different tree ornaments display messages in Chinese, Basque, English, and Spanish with a message of Eguberri Zoriontsua eta Urte Berri On.  From the Euskal Etxea of Cañuelas, Margarita Mathieu writes “at Christmas may the baby Jesus bring you everything you desire.”  And from San Miguel, the association Askatasunaren Bidea wishes “to share our best wishes for Peace, Love and Happiness, for both the Basque people and the Argentinean people.” From Mar del Plata, the center Denak Bat sent a card with wishes from the club’s President, Jose Marin Azarloza, and Secretary, Gustavo Elichirebeheity.

From Aldude, Lower Navarre, our friends from Kanaldude Herri Telebista thank us for supporting them in 2011 and send their best wishes for 2012.  From Havana the Pablo de la Torriente Brau Cultural Center wishes a Happy 2012, with a beautiful picture of Old Havan.  From Donostia, Eusko Ikaskuntza and Euskonews, with a work by Iñigo Arregi, wishes us “a Happy New Year saying that instead of our paths narrowing they hope  they'll become wider: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On.”

From the vicinity of the Andes in San Juan, Anibal Ivan Zepeda Iribarren, wished us “holidays filled with Peace, Happiness and Hope for a better world.”  (We take this opportunity to send him a hug, as well as to his mother, brothers and sisters and his family due to the death of his father last September).  From Buenos Aires, the euskaltegi Euskaltzaleak thanks its friends and collaborators for their help throughout 2011 and notes that thanks to them they have already have 106 tiles for the new clubhouse.  From Montevideo, Mirentxu Saralegui and Enrique Poittevin Gilmet send the Olentzero with a message in Basque and Spanish, “the daily miracle of life, add the blessing of the friendship, Merry Christmas a much better 2012".

Also from Montevideo, this one signed by friends form the Haize Hegoa club, we received in the mail, as each year, an original Christmas card designed and painted by a child, wishing us their best.  From Vitoria-Gasteiz, Pedro Lasaga, from the Department of Culture of the Basque Government wished us a Happy New Year, while from Bilbao Joana Uriarte did the same.  Also from the Bizkaian capital, Amaia Okariz wrote us from Euskaltzaindia including part of the song from Xiberoa “Txori erresiñula üdan da kantari,”  and with the text in the name of the Academy of the Basque Language Eguberri eta Urte Berri On.  From Arrecifes, the Euskaldunak Denak Bat club, who just celebrated its 90th year, sends a card that plays with the Basque and Argentinean flags wishing “Zorionak-Felicidades.”

From Chino, California we received a card from the Ysursa family in which three generations are shown with amatxi, John eta Jenny, and Kaiet and Aleks.  With a similar name but far from California, the artist Judas Arrieta wrote from Beijing, China with a photo of himself dressed in a Santa Claus hat with his young daughter in his arms dressed in Basque outfit, saying Merry Chrsitmas, Zorionak eta Urte Berri On.  From Buenos Aires, Carlos Arturo Martinez, Iparraldeko Euskal Etxea’s  Olentzero, sends a Christmas due to the new situation in Euskal Herria. And from San Cayetano, Olga Sonia Ormaechea sends the religious message of "may the birth of Jesus fill your heart with love, humility and strength so that as St. Francis of Assisi said: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. .. Merry Christmas.”

We would like to send our warmest wishes to our readers as well.  Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!