WINTER FESTIVAL

In this newsletter we've included a large variety of winter festivals celebrated in our country.(From the 21

of December until Carnival)

SANTO TOMAS DAY!

This day is celebrated on the 21

of December and we should mention that it is unique of theBasque Country.When celebrating it, we memorise thosefarmers who used to come to the cities to sellthe goods they had produced during the year. Nowadays we eat “chistorra” and drink “sagardo” to keep our traditions afloat. We usually dress up as farmersdid back then, in that way we get a rural festival atmosphere. One of themain characteristics that children most enjoy is the awesome pig whichused to be drawn, but that nowadays has been banned.The next day they say the numbers that have won the lottery.

CHRISTMAS EVE:

It is celebrated in the 24

of December. This day it is veryspecial for everyone and it is usually celebrated with thefamily, and in the Basque Country we have'nt Santa Claus, our “Santa” is Olentzero. Olentzero is a coal dealer who usuallycarries presents to the good boys and girls, but he sends coal to bad boys and girls. He has'nt got reindeer, instead he's got adonkey In this day kids are going to sing christmas carolshouse to house and people give them money for it. And boysusually go dressed as olentzero and girls go as “Mari Domingi” (Olentzero's wife).At night family is built and they have a special dinner because we are celebrating thatOlentzero is coming from the mountains and he carries presents with him for all the basquecountry and mostly for kids.

CHRISTMAS DAY:

This day is after the christmas eve specifically in the25

of December. This day in the morning, when you get up,the first thing you do is go to the christmas tree. Usuallythere are good presents but if that person have a bad behavior Olentzero will bring him coal. When you have

opened all the presents, family meets again and they have a special meal.

NEW YEAR'S EVE:

In the Basque Country, we usually celebrate the New Year's eve having a big dinner infamily. The typical food for this day is, ham, seafood, salad, meat or fish, and an extremelysweet dessert that is known as “Turrón”. After the dinner, at midnight, each person has to eattwelve grapes at the last twelve seconds of the year. Finally, we wish a Happy New year toeach other. After the celebration in family, teenagers usually wear nice clothes and go outwith their friends to celebrate it until the next morning. Children who are not aloud to go outyet, the often have a good time playing with the fireworks in family.

NEW YEAR'S DAY

This day we always have a special lunch with the family again and we also eat deliciousfood.This is what we typically eat at twelve o´clock.

Epiphany

Due to the Wise Men´s arrival in Bethlehem and their gifts for Jesus, children in Spain awaitanxiously the morning of January 6th to find presentrs left by the Wisemen, usually left bythem the night before. As it happens in Western European traditions, the ones who have not behaived well during the year would receive lumps of coal so as the child would make aneffort the next year to behave better and have more presents.But Ephiphany is not celebrated with the same enthusiasm in all the Spanish areas. In SanSebastian, for example a pareid goes along its most important streets, thich are full of young people, waiting to take a sweet thrown by the Wise Men. The atmosphere is nice although itis the last day of Christmas and the following day it´s time to go to school. We don´t mindthough. Children are always anxious to tel their friends what presents they have been given.

DANBORRADA

The 20thof January we celebrate the most important day of our city, A lot of different groups of people, play the drumdressed like old English and French soldiers. We celebratethat English Soldiers won French ones and liberated SanSebastian.It lasts the whole the day and people go out at night.The celebration Starts when we rise up the flat and it finish 24 hours later, when we slowndown it

KALDEREROAK

This day represents the coming of the “caldereros”, who are some families and tribesthat traveled along Europe. They workedrepairing frying pans, knives, and all kind of metallic objects.This tradition started 120 years ago, singingsongs by the well-known compositor RaimundoSarriegi.This day, the people go out trhough the steetdressed like them, and making noise with frying pans with small hammers.There are some characters in this tradition, who are very beautiful:-The Bear: One man goes dressed like a bear and goes dancing through the streethappily-The bear´s minders: He goes behind the bear taking care of it.

CARNIVAL

In the Basque Country we celebrate two different types of carnivals.Firstly we have the traditional one. It is part of our culture and is mostly celebrated in thenorth east part of Basque Country. We have different characters, like “Mielotxin”,” Lantz”and “Ziripot” and everybody dress like them.The second and the most popular one, is the modern one. It is also the funniest and it is mostcelebrated in Tolosa a small town of Basque Country. There people go to pubs, andeverybody is dressed with different funny costums. Then people goes to a small