Basque Language Day came and went. All around the world Basques and non-Basques alike gathered last Saturday to celebrate Euskara, one the oldest languages in the world.

Boise’s event took place in the Basque Block downtown. It started out at Leku-Ona and then moved to the Basque Museum, where the kids watched the Olentzero movie while the adults were mingling over a couple of drinks. There was food and  music performed by local triki trixa (accordion) and pandereta (tambourine) group Txantxangorriak. Then John Bieter, History Associate Professor at BSU, explained why it is important to learn Basque. I was going to put what I took from his speech into my own words, but then I thought you’d probably enjoy it better if you watched it yourselves. I have no doubt you’ll be signing up for classes at the Museum before you even finish watching the whole thing!

After John’s enlightening talk, Nere Lete, language professor at BSU, taught the audience some Euskara basics. Afterwards, Izaskun Kortazar, NABO’s Basque language coordinator, introduced a couple of new videos made by Zuretzako‘s director, Javi Zubizarreta, to promote Basque language among kids and grow-ups alike.

The evening closed with a session of karaoke, of which I took no video because karaoke is embarrassing no matter the language and I want to keep my friends.

After reading what a great time we had and seeing the videos, I know you can’t wait to join us for our next event. Well, you’re in luck! We will be gathering again at 6:00 pm on December 16 at Leku-Ona to sing Gabon kantak (Basque Carols).

If you need more information or have questions about anything Basque going on in Boise, you can ask me or Izaskun Kortazar, or join our Basque Events in Boise group on Meetup.com.

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