Members of the Rhode Island Basque Club gathered for ‘Txitxiburduntzi’ 2013

By A Basque in Boise May 13, 2013 Basque Community, Diaspora, Food, Holidays, Sports No Comments

One more year, members of the Rhode Island Basque Club gathered last weekend for ‘Txitxiburduntzi‘, a Basque ritual celebrated on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

Roberto Guerenabarrena, president of the Rhode Island Basque Club, explains how on that Sunday, friends in the Basque Country would go to the mountains and enjoy all the products from a fresh pig. Even though Lent Season is long past, Riki Lasa -president of the Pelotari’s Union- has been organizing this event in May for many years now at his home in Connecticut.

Everyone gathered last weekend at Riki’s house to have chorizo and sausages, including Ander Caballero, the newly appointed Basque Government Delegate in the United States. In addition, attendees also enjoyed an entire pig roasted by Barbecue Master Patxi Gandiaga. Rhode Island Basque Club members participated in many Basque rural sports like sokatira (tug of war), txingaruten (weight carrying), txokorbatzen (corn collecting), or harrijasoketa (weight lifting).

The main event was a challenge of aizkolaris (wood cutters), where three new challengers set out to defeat the current champion Riki Lasa, and one of them did! The new champion is Juan Mari Aramendi, aka Troitixe.

Here you have the pictures from the event. Enjoy!