A Basque in Boise

Aberri Eguna 2012: Basque-American celebrations

Aberri Eguna (“Fatherland Day”) is a holiday coinciding with Easter Sunday which has its roots in the Basque nationalist movement. It was first organised by the Basque Nationalist Party on 27 April 1932 in Bilbao, then consisting of a demonstration of some 65,000 participants which terminted at the Sabino Arana House. It has since become the unofficial Basque national holiday.

Aberri is a neologism coined by Sabino Arana based on the suffix -ba which occurs in numerous kinship terms (e.g. osaba “uncle”, izeba “aunt”, arreba “sister of a man” etc.) from which he fancifully deduced a putative root *aba “father”. He formed numerous neologisms based on this putative word such as aberri (*aba + herri “land, people, country, settlement”), abizen “surname” (*aba + izen “name”) or abenda “race” (*aba + enda “lineage”).From aberri he then went on the coin abertzale “patriot” (aberri “fatherland” + -(t)zale, a suffix denoting someone keen on something). In spite of their fanciful derivation, aberri and abertzale have found their way into general usage.

The first Aberri Eguna was held in memory of Sabino Arana having “invented” the concept of political Basque nationalism in 1882 according to his own writings. There are some claims that the date was artificially assigned after Arana’s death. It coinciding with Easter, however, is deliberate as it follows the motto of the Basque Nationalist Party Jaungoiko eta Lege Zaharrak “God and the Old Laws and the symbolism of the resurrection of Christ”. Ideologically, it follows the examples of the older Catalan and Galician patriotic holidays, the National Day of Catalonia (from 1889 onwards) and the National Day of Galicia (from 1919 onwards). It was then celebrated in San Sebastián in 1933, in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 1934 and in Pamplona in 1935. From 1936 onwards, the year of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War it was no longer celebrated in a single location but instead in various localities on a smaller scale and under clandestine conditions as under Franco, Aberri Eguna was forbidden from 1937 to 1975. It was only freely celebrated in the Northern Basque Country under the auspices of the Basque Government in Exile.

The Aberri Eguna is not an official holiday and main events continue to be organized by Basque nationalist parties. However, the exact format and tone depends on the organiser and thus can vary considerably from a political rally to a cultural picnic. In particular in emigrant communities, the celebration of Basque culture features much more strongly than any political overtones. The cultural element often features events such as Basque music, traditional sports, food and drink, in particular Basque cider.

Here you have some examples of how Basque communities in North America will celebrate Aberri Eguna.

WASHINGTON, D.C. EUSKAL ETXEA

Saturday, April 14 – Aberri Eguna Picnic. They are excited to have their first annual sokatira challenge during the festivities.
For more information contact the club here or visit their website.

LAGUN ONAK LAS VEGAS BASQUE CLUB

Sunday, April 15 – Aberri Eguna Picnic. The picnis is just for members and will be taking place at Spring Mt Ranch (where the annual picnic is held).
For more information contact the club here or visit their Facebook page.

NEW YORK BASQUE CLUB

Easter Sunday, April 8th
Program:
12:00 p.m. – Mass led by Bishop Iosu Iriondo
1:00 p.m. – Bar Txomin & pintxoak

3:00 p.m. – Dinner by Chef Inaki Lete

Cost:
All day – Members:  $65 (Non-members:  $75)
Half-Day Members:  $40 (Non-members:  $50)

Children under 8 are free; 8-14 pay $30; 14 years old & up pay adult cost.

Call  (201) 261-1691, e-mail: mitzalg@gmail.com, or send your reservation by mail to:
Euzko-Etxea of New York
307 Eckford Street
Brooklyn, New York 11222
For the club’s website, click here.

Download Aberri Eguna Agenda (PDF 16 kb)

RHODE ISLAND BASQUE CLUB

Join us on Sunday, April 15th, at the Knights of Columbus from noon until 9PM for a potluck to celebrate Aberri Eguna. Share with everyone your favorite dish, and enjoy the afternoon/evening in a relaxed family-like atmosphere. Children and youngsters, come ready for some fun games! Youngsters and grown-ups, come ready for the 1st Mus Tournament of New England!

Please RSVP to nebasque@aol.com, indicating what you would like to bring. The Knights of Columbus is located at 7 Valley Road, Middletown, RI (see map below). Admittance is $15 for adults (21 years of age and above), intended to cover rental costs, and free for the rest. Attention!: All beverages are to be purchased from the Knights of Columbus cash bar. Cash bar prices are as follows: Soda $1.50, Domestic Beer $3.50, Non-Domestic Beer: $ 4.50, Wine: $4, $5 or $6.

For the club’s website, click here.

EUSKAL ETXEA IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Saturday, April 7 – Aberri Eguna at Mayview Circle, Burnaby, BC
For more information contact the club here or visit their website.

(Photo courtesy of Deia.com)

Thanks for passing by: ↓

Pedro J. Oiarzabal Maria Jesusl Steven Roosevelt Amaya Oxarango-Ingram

3 thoughts on “Aberri Eguna 2012: Basque-American celebrations

  1. Aitzol Azurtza

    Kaixo Henar!

    Jakinarazten dizut New York-eko Euskal Etxeak Aberri Eguna aurreko igandean, martxoaren 31ean, ospatu zuela (beraz, goiko data oker dago). Egun zoragarria izan zen: apezpikuaren meza, Berriozargo zanpantzarrak, txalaparta, ohorezko aurreskua, sarien banaketa, jana eta edaria… Giro apartan ospatu genituen gure euskal sustraiak eta noizbait euskal aberri burujabea lortzeko nahia.

    Goraintziak denoi!

    Aitzol Azurtza
    EENY President
    Brooklyn, NY 11222

  2. Henar Chico

    Kaixo Aitzol, hau zan ihaz, oraindik ez dut idatzi aurtengo ospaketari buruz. Itxaroten ari nintzen beste Euskal Etxeeko berria jasotzera. Laster zerbait txiki aterako dut. Eskerrik asko bidali dizun deskribapenari buruz! Gauza onak ikusten ditut NYko Euskal Etxean, ze ondo!

  3. Aitzol Azurtza

    Henar, arrazoi osoa duzu, aurtengoa zelakoan iazko berria irakurri dut… Negu amaigabeak burmuina izoztu didala uste dut… New York-eko Euskal Etxeari bizitza ematen saiatzen ari gara, ea zuzpertzen den eta beste ehun urte irauten dituen. Ongi izan, Aitzol Azurtza.

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