The txotx season has begun and citizenship has begun with enthusiasm to test the harvest raised in the wineries of the sidrerías. We cannot miss the annual ritual, this way of promoting and living Basque culture. But every tradition, whether voluntary or not, changes and the essence of custom is often blurred, as the view of the blacksmiths is tragically blurred. How has the txotx season been passed on to new generations? How do the current sewers, or just parranches, understand the citation of sidrería?

“From January to April, every weekend, the streets of the town are filled with people of all ages who want to enjoy this experience.” This is described by the Hernani City Hall website. However, more than filling the streets, in recent years the streets overflow and it seems that the public spaces of Astigarraga and Hernani are reserved for dreros during some fourteen consecutive weeks. It is easy to say: almost four months of uninterrupted and giant party, at the expense of drunk people who do not want limits.

Many astigartarras and hernaniarras also want parties and like the cider culture, but in their town they refuse to do so. “On Saturdays in the afternoon many residents of our towns feel displaced from their place of residence,” the municipal representatives of Astigarraga and Hernani confirmed in the presentation of the Hartu ardura campaign, warning that the multitude generates “problems of coexistence”. The two municipalities recognised that the txotx season was out of hand and asked the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa and the Basque Government for a meeting to help manage the situation at the beginning of the 2024 period. But does it reverse what has become a season of abuse?

It is clear that the people are not prepared to receive thousands of cider tourists every week. Buses in benches, screams and noises day and night, in every corner and a half of the urine, in the middle of the plaza from which you have not eaten and drank moderately in the street, broken cars parked.. and most seriously: all kinds of aggression. Streets and bars full of tailings are not safe for women, for people in the LGTB community, for people who are racialized, or for any part of minorities. It's not cider, it's you. Municipalities want to avoid attacks by raising awareness. But do annual posters and advertisements influence aggressors with alcohol and other drugs?

The culture of quarries has been a pride that has been propelled for years, and has been a delight in attracting local and foreign tourists. The problem is that no action has been taken to make tourism sustainable, if possible. Now that the situation is out of control, it is difficult for tailors who come to drink litres to delay. How can we define what is an important economic activity for the people? Who should put the instruments in place to heal intoxication?