Discovering the Basque Country

USAC Professor Series: USAC Bilbao Professor Estela Rey Hernandez speaks on the language, culture, food, and folklore of the Basque Country.

Nestled where Spain and France meet lies the Basque Country — an area rich in tradition and culture. Once a place of industry, today the city of Bilbao boasts tourism alongside a relaxed pace of life.

In this University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC) Professor Series, USAC Bilbao professor Estela Rey Hernandez shares the vibrant traditions of the Basque Country, from its unique language and exciting festivals to its delectable gastronomy.

Euskara, the Basque language

Euskara is more than a language. It’s a symbol of identity.

Euskara (pronounced eh-oos-KAH-rah) is the co-official language in the Basque Country along with Spanish. While the languages coexist today, during the 20th century, the Basque language was banned by dictator Fransico Franco in his pursuit of a unified Spain. It wasn’t until his death in 1975 that Euskara could be spoken and taught openly.

Euskara is a language isolate, meaning that linguists are uncertain of its origin and how it relates to other languages. It is often compared to Spanish — and rightly so considering their coexistence — and has a unique alphabet and language structure. Some key traits are the declension system which uses suffixes to indicate grammatical case; the base-20 numeral system, where numbers are groups in sets of 20; and the subject-object-verb word order.

The alphabet varies from the typical Roman version as well. Euskara has only 23 letters and uses several digraphs (a pair of letters that make a single sound) such as tx, like “ch” in English, and tz, like the “zz” sound in “pizza.”

Specialized language schools, called euskaltegis, promote learning, as well as the social campaign, euskaraldia, created to boost the use of the Basque language. Both utilize pins worn on clothing that say either, “I’m ready to listen to Basque” for passive bilinguals, or “I’m ready to speak in Basque.”

The biennial event Korrika, a multi-city relay race lasting 24 hours, brings further awareness to Euskara.

USAC Bilbao students pose for a group photo.

The Basque personality

Community and socializing are a large part of Basque culture, epitomized in cuadrilla — a close-knit group of friends maintained throughout one’s life. For the Basque people, community transcends ages, and old and young alike can be seen enjoying the outdoors together.

The Basque personality is further seen in the many festivals, traditions, and competitions celebrated throughout the year. Competitions often highlight traditional rural sports through demonstrations of wood chopping, stone lifting, sheep dog trials, and pelota, or Basque hand ball.

Discussions of Basque culture wouldn’t be complete without a mention of football (American soccer). It’s an exciting event that gets the entire city engaged, and USAC students in particular love to watch games live at the stadium or at bars.

USAC Bilbao students taking a cooking class.

Txokos and Basque gastronomy

Gastronomy is an integral part of Basque life, as evidenced by the ways they discuss, negotiate, celebrate, and get to know one another over a meal. For a Basque person, anything can be an excuse to socialize!

Basque cuisine is iconic throughout the world, particularly pintxos, which are small slices of bread with a nearly endless variety of toppings, and tapas, which are shareable snacks and appetizers meant to be enjoyed with others.

Txokos (pronounced CHO-kohs), or private dining clubs, offer excellent places to gather, mingle, and eat in a relaxed atmosphere. Once reserved for men, everyone is now welcome to participate in the tradition. Students attending the USAC Bilbao program even have the opportunity to take cooking courses at a txokos for credit.

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Author

Melissa Beals