The International Day of Euskera will be celebrated all around the world
Euskara. Kultura. Mundura.
As every year, Etxepare Euskal Institutua will join the celebrations with the International Day of Euskera on the 3rd of December. They have organized different activities by the language assistantship and cultural international centers with which they work during the whole year. That way, the Basque citizens of the diaspora and students of Euskera will have the opportunity to learn about Basque language and culture. The events, courses and talks will reach different points of Europe and America through the international network of language assistantships of the Institute. This year, these activities will be developed in 10 countries, and there will be the opportunity to follow them online.
The activities that will be celebrated in the Day of Euskera include conferences and projections of films in cities like Edinburgh, Venice, La Habana, Santiago de Chile, Los Angeles and Tokyo, among others. You can check the whole list below.
The lecture assistants are teachers that offer courses of Basque language and culture to university students or postgraduates in foreign Universities that are outside the Basque Country. It is a programme initiated by Etxepare Euskal Institutua, in collaboration with foreign universities; and they are these teachers and all the students who form the lectureship network. They do more than just offer classes about Basque language and culture: they are also promotors of Basque customs and traditions in foreign countries. The lecturers, with the support of Etxepare Euskal Institutua, organise activities related to Basque culture throughout the year, with the aim of highlighting important events, people or customs rooted in the Basque Country.
Currently, Etxepare Euskal Institutua promotes and manages lectureships of Basque language and culture in 35 universities of 18 countries. In total there are 29 professors that work on this programme. In Europe, there are lectureship assistants in many universities of Spain, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Finland, Polonia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Hungary, Ireland and Georgia. In America, there are lectureship assistants in USA, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay and Cuba. Finally, the Institute also promotes one lectureship in Asia, specifically in Japan.
The International Day of Euskera was celebrated in 1949 for the first time and it was promoted by Eusko Ikaskuntza. Officially, the celebrations, meetings and other activities on the International Day of Euskera began in 1995, when the Basque diaspora celebrated their first Congress of the world. The Basque Government and Euskaltzaindia considered it appropriate to celebrate the International Day of Euskera on the 3rd of December.
You can find the whole list of activities of this year here:
Tokyo, Japan
From the 1st to the 15th of December (TUFS – Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)
A Basque film season will be held at the TUFS cinema.
- On the 1st of December they will show the film “Nomadak TX” (Raúl de la Fuente, 2006).
- On the 8th of December they will show the film “Bertsolari” (Asier Altuna, 2011). The director, Asier Altuna, will be there to offer a conference.
- On the 15th of December they will show the film “Dantza” (Telmo Esnal, 2018). The director, Telmo Esnal, will be there to offer a conference.
La Habana, Cuba
From the 13th of November to the 19th of December (University of La Havana).
“Euskara, mundiala. Conference about Basque in La Havana 2023”.
Several activities have been organised: a round table about the Basque language with four activists, a guided walk-through Havana, a talk about the Basque language for scientists, and the International Day of the Basque Language festival.
Mexico City, Mexico
3rd of December (National Autonomus University of Mexico)
“Day of Euskera”
They will offer a course of euskal dantza (Basque dances). There will also be a conference with the Basque writer Unai Elorriaga in the Euskal Etxea of Mexico DF. Elorriaga will be there in the International Literature Fair FIL Guadalajara on the previous days, with the support of Etxepare Euskal Institutua.
La Plata, Argentina
6th of December (National University of La Plata)
They will show the documental “Betiko Haizea” about life and the work of the alboka player from Araba, José Antonio Martínez Osses.
Illinois, EEUU
30th of November (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
"Basque Dialectology in a Changing World: New Communities and Speech Patterns"
The professor Ander Beristain, from the University of Saint Louis, will give a talk.
Los Angeles, EEUU
5th of December (University of California, Los Angeles)
Twich session in charge of Iruñe Astiz and Eneko Oroz.
Helsinki, Finland
From the 1st to the 29th of November (University of Helsinki)
They will organise conferences about the development and protagonists of the revitalisation of Basque culture in the last 50 years. The season began on the 1st of November and it will finish on the 29th of November with a talk about literature and language. Apart from literature, they have also talked about cinema and fine arts, always dedicated to the development and flourishing of Basque culture in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.
Berlin, Germany
From the 15th of November to the 6th of December (Freie Universität Berlin)
“Euskararen Eguna Berlinen”
There are different activities in the university and in the Euskal Etxea of Berlin.
Bolonia and Venice, Italy
From the 1st to the 6th of December (University of Bologna y Università Ca ´Foscari Venezia)
“Euskararen eguna Bolognan eta Venezian”
- 1st of December, the former student Francesco Massida will talk about his experience in the barnetegi.
- 4th of December, they will offer a talk with Marta de Pedis about her participation in the Bertsolari Championship of Araba.
- 6th of December, presentation of the book "Come se tutto fosse accaduto" from Iban Zaldua.
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2nd of December (The University of Edinburgh)
“Euskararen eguna / A day of basque”
They will show euskal dantzak (Basque dance), the play Hitzen Jokoa, a popular lunch and many concerts.
Brno, Czech Republic
3rd of December (Masaryk University
They will show the film Irati (Paul Urkijo, 2022) in Kino Art from Brno.
Leipzig, Germany
4th of December (Universität Leipzig)
"Dies Academicus – Taller de euskera"
They will work on Basque language and culture inside the programme Dies Academicus.
Madrid, Spain
4th of December (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)
“Bertso-cocido”
Under the title Bertso-cocido, they will celebrate a dinner with bertsos in Madrid. Nerea Ibarzabal and Onintza Enbeita will participate there.
Poznan, Polonia
7th of December (Adam Mickiewicz University)
“Euskara bizia”
There will be an information table and a course about euskal dantza (Basque dance).
Frankfurt, Germany
7th of December (Goethe-Universität)
Musical conference by Afrika Bigang.
Barcelona, Spain
30th of November (Universidad de Barcelona and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
“Euskararen eguna Bartzelonan”
Iñaki Iurrebaso will give a talk.
