Christmas in the Basque Country
christmas basque country start feast santo tomas december celebration people go onto street dance eat talo txistorra type basque chorizo wear traditional outfit called casera dress girl consists long skirt longsleeved oldfashioned shirt headscarf apron boy wear long black shirt trouser txapela traditional black beret casera outfit normally dark blue come many color wear caseras people mountain wear holiday used celebrate peasant sold good town came santo tomas pay rent landlord city basque country equivalent santa olentzero olentzero life lived depending believe mountain wear boy casera mythical basque character widely portrayed messenger cry christmas time throughout corner basque country version olentzero farmer shepherd nevertheless common tale olentzero brings good news people also known coal man come mountain pottok wild basque horse hand present child chestnut wine given villager tradition december basque television radio station broadcast olentzero begun journey mountain childrens home francoist spain olentzero banned symbol regional separatism spanish transition democracy tradition restored basque country christmas day child basque country go sleep early leave shoe middle whatever room house isnt bathroom bedroom olentzero leaf present beside shoe new year day people put casera dress go sing retired people retirement home day morning whether raining snowing tradition people go swim sea sea town city one day important basque th january day three king night happens child leave shoe night three king come leave present much less olentzero christmas special album olenzero basque public news channel retrieved may talo olentzero basque mythology