Friday, December 18, 2009

New Year's RESOLUTIONS


  1. Study more

  2. Learn more english

  3. Spend more time with the family

  4. Read more

  5. Eat more healthily and do more sport

Basically: GET OUR ARSES IN GEAR!!


The day of St. Tomas

The day of St. Tomas is one of the major holidays in the calendar of Donostia. Despite the name, it has no connection with religion. There is no clear agreement on the origins of the festival.
But the argument seems to thrive on 21 December, the day of the arrival of winter, was the one who fixed the owners of farmhouses and houses mostly lived in the capital, San Sebastian, to collect annual rents from tenants. For that reason, they went down to the city with plenty of money, and were loaded with the best products in their villages: all sorts of poultry, the best vegetables and handicrafts to exchange or sell in the city.
Over time, the custom evolved into tradition, and today is a fair field in which there is both exhibition and sale of products and competition.
In addition to the fair, it is surprising the habit of consuming chorizo sandwiches. On 21 December hundereds of people gather in the Old Town of San Sebastian at the stands where these snacks are sold. The countless bars from that part of town, also provide the public with chorizo sandwiches.
The stands are usually attended by organizations or groups of schoolchildren.
The chorizo is a type of fresh sausage, thin and uncured probably made from the ugliest and cruel killing of the pig which, in Guipuzcoa, is performed just before the onset of winter.
In the last years of the dictatorship the habit of eating this chorizo with "talo" instead of white bread began to take root . The “talo” is a kind of cake of cornmeal and water, without yeast, cooked on the grill. Since then, the “talo” has been imposed on the holiday as a vindication of the highest purity of tradition.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

TREE OF GERNIKA






the tree of Gernika is an important symbol for the Basque people. The General Assemblies, attended by representatives form all Biscay municipalities, were originally held under its branches.


Located near the Assembly House an the platform, is home to the different generations of the Tree of Gernika. The present oak tree was planted in 2005, when it was 19 years of age.


the garden is also home to its ancestors; the "Old Trunk" is surrounded by columns and althought it was not the first of all the trees of Gernika, it is the oldest vestige that we still conserve. its successor was planted in 1860 and remained opposite the platform until 2004 when it dried and had to be replaced

Friday, December 4, 2009

Bank-Holiday!!

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!

This weekend is going to be loooong. We have hollidays until Wednesday because in Spain we have a bank-holiday. We are really looking forward to having a lie-in and resting a little bit.

EUSKERA

December the 3rd is Euskera's international day. Euskera is our own language and one of our culture's symbols. Many events, such as 'Mintzodromoa' 100% Euskera (a gathering of all kind of people speaking only Euskera) took place in honour of the celebration.

Abenduak 3 Euskararen eguna da. Euskara da gure hizkuntza eta gure kulturaren adierazgarria. Ekitaldi ezberdinak egin ziren, hala nola 'Mintzodromoa %100 Euskera Donostian, eta beste hainbat Euskal Herri osoan.
Agur bero bat denori Donostiatik !!!