Tolosa Carnival: Days of feast and parody

Of all the Carnival celebrations of the Basque Country, those celebrated in Tolosa are special due to their popularity and duration. Nearly everybody in Tolosa, and many from the surrounding towns, both young and old, take to the streets for six days in a row to continue festivities which began the previous weekend.

The Tolosa Carnivals are unique because, during the Franco era when they were banned, the townspeople became experts at making disguises to hide the fact they were still celebrating. This is reflected in the imagination and effort that the people of Tolosa put into their costume designs even today.

Although Carnival officially starts on Sunday, this Gipuzkoan town begins celebrating on Carnival Thursday (otherwise known as 'Fat' Thursday), which this year falls on March 3rd, and ends on Shrove Tuesday, known in Tolosa as 'Asteartita'. Six days - for many people, 6 sacred days - in which Tolosa puts everything on hold in the name of Carnival.

The most important events take place on the Thursday, the first day of Carnival, on Carnival Sunday or 'Zaldunita', and on Shrove Tuesday or 'Asteartita'. When it comes to naming Carnival days, the people from Tolosa play with their language and create their own words: they mix Basque and Spanish, as with 'Zaldunita', 'Astelenita' and 'Asteartita'.

Celebrations begin on Carnival Thursday at noon with the chupinazo (starting rocket). People take to the streets to the sound of brass bands but without costumes.

On Saturday celebrations continue, though without costumes or, at the very most, only a simple jellabah, a traditional tunic.

The biggest day is 'Zaldunita', Carnival Sunday. People go out early, though at that time in the morning they do not waste time on their looks. At 8am, everybody goes to the reveille as they were when they got out of bed - dressed in dressing gowns and pyjamas and ready to eat sweets.

In the rest of the Basque Country

In Gipuzkoa, carnival time is announced by the tinkers' strange processions which imitate the nomadic wanderings of the gypsies who used to come to these parts during the carnival period, with their shows and skill in tin-smithery.

In Biscay they also remember the gypsy bands who arrived for the carnival, such as the Zagari Dantza of Markina-Xemein which include a bear and its tamer among the dancers.

There are many similar vestiges of rural carnival which the Basque Country has preserved. In Gipuzkoa, at the foot of Txindoki, one of the most beautiful mountains of this region, the children of Amezketa and Abaltzisketa dance round the houses in an attempt to stir the goodwill and generosity of their neighbours. They are called txantxoak.

In Zalduaondo, in Alava, the main character of the fiesta is a dummy, markitos, who, year after year is judged, convicted and put to death.

Of all the Carnival celebrations of the Basque Country, those celebrated in Tolosa are special due to their popularity and duration. Nearly everybody in Tolosa, and many from the surrounding towns, both young and old, take to the streets for six days in a row to continue festivities which began the previous weekend. The Tolosa Carnivals are unique because, during the Franco era when they were banned, the townspeople became experts at making disguises to hide the fact they were still celebrating. This is reflected in the imagination and effort that the people of Tolosa put into their costume designs even today.Although Carnival officially starts on Sunday, this Gipuzkoan town begins celebrating on Carnival Thursday (otherwise known as 'Fat' Thursday), which this year falls on March 3rd, and ends on Shrove Tuesday, known in Tolosa as 'Asteartita'. Six days - for many people, 6 sacred days - in which Tolosa puts everything on hold in the name of Carnival.The most important events take place on the Thursday, the first day of Carnival, on Carnival Sunday or 'Zaldunita', and on Shrove Tuesday or 'Asteartita'. When it comes to naming Carnival days, the people from Tolosa play with their language and create their own words: they mix Basque and Spanish, as with 'Zaldunita', 'Astelenita' and 'Asteartita'. Celebrations begin on Carnival Thursday at noon with the chupinazo (starting rocket). People take to the streets to the sound of brass bands but without costumes. On Saturday celebrations continue, though without costumes or, at the very most, only a simple jellabah, a traditional tunic.The biggest day is 'Zaldunita', Carnival Sunday. People go out early, though at that time in the morning they do not waste time on their looks. At 8am, everybody goes to the reveille as they were when they got out of bed - dressed in dressing gowns and pyjamas and ready to eat sweets.In the rest of the Basque CountryIn Gipuzkoa, carnival time is announced by the tinkers' strange processions which imitate the nomadic wanderings of the gypsies who used to come to these parts during the carnival period, with their shows and skill in tin-smithery. In Biscay they also remember the gypsy bands who arrived for the carnival, such as the Zagari Dantza of Markina-Xemein which include a bear and its tamer among the dancers. There are many similar vestiges of rural carnival which the Basque Country has preserved. In Gipuzkoa, at the foot of Txindoki, one of the most beautiful mountains of this region, the children of Amezketa and Abaltzisketa dance round the houses in an attempt to stir the goodwill and generosity of their neighbours. They are called txantxoak. In Zalduaondo, in Alava, the main character of the fiesta is a dummy, markitos, who, year after year is judged, convicted and put to death.