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Basque Fact of the Week, History

Basque Fact of the Week: Today is Aberri Eguna, or Basque Fatherland Day

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Aberri Eguna On! Happy Aberri Eguna! Aberri Eguna, coinciding with Easter every year, is a celebration of the Basque Country. It has always had a political aspect, with events organized by the various Basque nationalist parties. However, it has also always had a cultural aspect, which has been more emphasized in Basque communities outside of […]

Basque Fact of the Week, Folklore

Basque Fact of the Week: In Basque Mythology, Before Humans, There Was a Race of Giants

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Basques are known for the strong Catholic devotion. However, the Basques are also known to have converted to Christianity relatively late. Before, they had a mythology that was based on various supernatural beings. One of those was the Jentilak, or race of giants. These beings, immense in size, existed before humans, though maybe co-existed with […]

Basque Fact of the Week, History, People

Basque Fact of the Week: Simón Bolívar, the Liberator, had Roots in Bizkaia

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Known as the Liberator, Simón Bolívar is a national hero to many South American countries. Under his leadership, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama gained their independence from Spain. He also became president of what was then called Grand Columbia, encompassing the modern countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador. Inspired by the American […]

Basque Fact of the Week, History, People

Basque Fact of the Week: The First Person to (Intentionally) Sail Around the World was Basque

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In the United States, at least when I was a kid, we learned that the first person to circumnavigate the globe — to sail around the world — was Ferdinand Magellan. In reality, however, Magellan died in the Philippines, and he never made it all the way. He left Spain with 5 ships but only […]

Basque Fact of the Week, History

Basque Fact of the Week: Basques Immigrated to Wales

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We are all familiar with the large waves of Basque migration to the Americas and Australia. But there was also a small group of Basques who immigrated to Wales, in the United Kingdom. They were recruited to the city of Dowlais, some 60 miles from Cardiff. They came to the region because of the steel […]