Euskaraldia is a social movement to promote the use of basque
- Basque
- 2025 May 13
Are you visiting San Sebastian in May and want to take the opportunity to learn some Basque words or phrases?
You're in luck! Euskaraldia is being held from May 15th to 25th, a massive social event that you can join here.
During these 11 days, you'll see the people of San Sebastian walking around with a badge pinned to their shirts or backpacks: a badge with the image of a mouth or an ear. It will be a sign that they are participating in a social movement to promote the use of Basque
Euskaraldia is a voluntary event in which the community that wants to live in Basque creates the conditions for a language change. It is an innovative social invention, not found anywhere else, and is a perfect example of the Basque language commitment of Basque speakers.
There are two roles to choose from: Ahobizi and Belarriprest. Ahobizi will always speak the first word in Basque, and those who understand will continue in Basque. This will sometimes generate bilingual conversations, which are also intended to be channeled.
Those in the Belarriprest role will decide each time with whom, when, and where to speak in Basque. However, they will also invite those who know Basque to do so. This is a very suitable role for those who understand Basque but lack the ability or confidence to speak it.
Linguistic situation of Basque
In San Sebastián, as in the Basque Autonomous Community, there are two official languages: Basque and Spanish. Basque, however, is a minority language and is in a vulnerable situation compared to Spanish; according to the latest measurements, the use of Basque on the street is 15.3%. In Donostia / San Sebastián, all citizens know Spanish, while 83,866 people (46.67%) know Basque and 38,337 (21.34%) understand it.
