The Locarno region is made up of six conjoined valleys: Mother, Allin, Metauten, Egaibar, Work and Quarantine. The village of Iguzkitza is also organized with them. The first event of this year’s Basque day program was held on Friday afternoon in the town of Murieta, with the ball campus organized by Ados Bola. But the main date is Saturday.

The activities begin at 11:00 am for the little ones, and at noon Oinatz Bengoetxea and Iñaki Lizaso make an individual challenge in the fronton of the Plaza de las Murías. The craftsmen's stalls were already set up. Lizarra’s XXX has cheered the village up to lunchtime, and 200 people have tasted salads and lamb while the children walked around with the collaborative games of the Artiankulu group. Already in the afternoon they return to the square to make the dance plaza and then the music prevails in the large tent that they have raised for the day until the bodies get tired. The weather has contributed to the festive atmosphere throughout the day.

Step-by-Step Basque Language

For the 20th year, the Basque Language Day has been organized in Lugo. This year the main weight of the preparations has been taken by the group of young people of Zurrakapote de Murieta, “but also with us have been the groups of the towns of Fuentaga, Piedramillera, Larrion and Iguzkitza”, explains Iñigo Lahidalga, member of Zurrakapote.

“You don’t hear a lot of Basque in the valley, but gradually more and more, not only but especially among young people,” says Lahidalga. It is no coincidence that there are dialects in the region, and they have been obtaining public education in Basque for years. “We have a nursery in Murieta and a primary school in Antigua.” The old school is in the works, precisely because 7 years ago the educational community opted for the D model, and the school that was then on the verge of extinction has become too small for them. Children need to go to high school. A sign of the slow but steady upward evolution of the Basque language in the region, a person who came from abroad to sing, but who has known the area for a long time, told Lahidalga: “He told me, ‘What a joy to sing in Murieta, it was unthinkable a few years ago.’”

Each year they celebrate New Year’s Eve in a different city. Last year he was at the Fountain. “This year the idea was to do it in Larrión, but from Zurrakapote we got in touch with the people of Lokizaldea Euskaraz, who wanted to organize something for the Basque language in the town, and they suggested that we take charge of the Basque language day.” It's noon, and Lahidalga is happy. “The day is going well, in the end it has not rained and we have managed to do most of the initiatives in the street, now in the street, then eat, and a bit of partying from the afternoon.” It has not yet been decided where the meeting of the following year will be organized, but they will do it, “we are ready to make people stand up for the Basque language”.

Below are several photos of the day (to the author, LUZ CC BY-SA)