Tuesday, May. 13, 2008

Annual Los Baños Basque celebration slated for this weekend

Event will be held at Los Baños Fairgrounds

So you're considering attending this year's Los Baños Basque Picnic but are still uncertain whether a day celebrating Basque culture under a rejuvenating, spring sun is something that would interest you. There is, after all, bound to be something on TV.

You wonder, how can I decide whether or not to commit this Sunday with those jovial Basques at the Los Baños Fairgrounds? Well, like any potential commitment, you want to begin with a foundation of common ground and shared interests. So let's see if any of this appeals to you.

Do you believe that a wine glass is not only meant to be drunk from but also danced upon? Do you believe that there is no accessory sexier on a grown man than a beret? Do you dream of trading in your 9-to-5 at the office for a pair of boots, a camper, a border collie, and a flock of sheep? Have you ever answered the theoretical question "What would your last meal be if you were about to be executed?" with the response "lamb stew?" Are you convinced that along with harps and trumpets, angels also play accordions? Do you enjoy surrounding yourself with a language in which the letter K acts as a fine substitute for consonants, a language that is fascinated with the clunky "tx" hybrid? If so, then we think you'd do yourself a great service by swinging over to the Los Baños Fairgrounds this Sunday and joining us for this year's picnic. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., lunch will be from noon - 2 p.m. followed by dance performances, weight-carrying competition and revelry.

But maybe you're deliberating because of concerns far simpler than "Will this really be that much fun?" and "the Discovery Channel was going to air that re-run this Sunday, weren't they?" Maybe you're just unfamiliar with the Basque people and their culture. What is a Basque person, you wonder. If this is so, we ask for several more minutes of your time. Basque author Miguel de Unamuno quoted someone who wasn't Basque (and so whose name isn't of the greatest importance) as saying, "The Basques share with the Celts the privilege of indulging in unrivaled extravagance on the subject of themselves." That being the case, here are some interesting facts.

Euskera, the Basque language, is one of the oldest living languages in the world, yet it still manages to mystify and frustrate linguists. No one is certain where the language originated or how old it actually is, though some Basque linguists have "proven" that Euskera was spoken by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. One-upping this little fact: the Basques' presence in Europe predates that of any other living European people. Before Europe was Europe, the Basques were herding their sheep in the mountains and pulling fish from the bay. Impressive, yes, though some Basques have taken the spirit of one-upmanship a step further by claiming that before God was God, the Basques were Basque. Heretical? Most certainly. But you can rest easy knowing that the founder of the Jesuit order, St. Ignatius of Loyola, was also Basque.

And how about this? It was actually Magellan's Basque lieutenant who finished the trip after his death in the Philippines, becoming the first person to successfully circumnavigate the globe. Remaining in salty waters, a great percentage of Columbus' crew was Basque. The "discovery" of the Americas they took in stride as the Basques had actually been fishing off the coast of what is now Canada for several centuries before Columbus lost his way.

There are plenty more interesting facts that have sprung from the seven provinces in Spain and France that comprise the Basque Country. If you'd like to hear them, or perhaps enjoy a nice meal of lamb stew, salad, beans, lamb chops, bread, cheese, and French wine, or watch the Los Baños and San Francisco Basque Club dancers perform cultural dances, or watch the weight-carrying competition, or just enjoy a pleasant day with pleasant people, then please join us at the Los Baños Fairgrounds this Sunday for this year's Basque Picnic. Admission to the picnic is free. Meal tickets can be purchased at the front gate. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Zabalbeascoa at (209) 826-6288.