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Carnival in the collective memory of Bizkaia

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Posted on 2021-02-12 in

Traditional pan-fried bread. Josu Larrinaga Zugadi.

The testimonies of interviewees from Bizkaia[1] take us back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time of ups and downs (military conflicts, dictatorships, ideological changes, civil and ecclesiastical censorship…) for our traditional Carnival (Karnabalak, Aratusteak, Carnestolendas…), as far as its significance and popularity were concerned. Carnival is, shall we state, a period which combines fixed festive celebrations and variable dates (determined by the first full moon of Easter), contextualized between the Christmas cycle and the Lenten quarantine which heralds Easter. (more…)

Txitxiburruntzi, sasikoipetsu, basaratuste, kanporamartxo. Gearing up for carnival

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Posted on 2019-02-22 in
Basokoipetsu. Berrizburu (Bizkaia), c. 1940. Courtesy of Aurora Agirresakona

Basokoipetsu. Berrizburu (Bizkaia), c. 1940. Courtesy of Aurora Agirresakona.

Carnival is the main and most deeply-rooted celebration of the carnival cycle and does not have a fixed date. Depending on location, the cycle also encompasses several pre-carnival traditions.

Here we shall focus on the custom preserved in Bizkaia on the Sunday previous to Shrove Sunday, marking the start of the carnival season before the run-up to Fat Thursday and culminating in celebrations on Shrove Tuesday. (more…)

Fat Thursday in Zigoitia (Álava)

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Posted on 2017-02-24 in
1-alegria

Asking for alms in Alegría-Dulantzi (Álava), 1993. Juan José Galdos.

In a good many localities, both in the northern and southern Basque Country, carnival started on Fat Thursday, that is, the Thursday immediately preceding Lent. Such day was known by different names in Spanish, jueves de lardero being one of them. The feast was mainly enjoyed by school-age children. In Zigoitia (Álava) it was traditionally celebrated on the last Thursday in January. (more…)

Carnival

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Posted on 2016-02-12 in
Atorrak, Mundaka (Bizkaia), 2011

Atorrak, Mundaka (Bizkaia), 2011. Labayru Fundazioa Photographic Archive.

In olden times indulging in carnival celebrations when Lent observance is in full flow would have been totally unacceptable and considered serious misconduct. Nowadays, though, in some localities carnival events are postponed to the weekend after Shrove Tuesday. (more…)

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