San Blas in the Basque Country.

Get to know the Basque traditions around the figure of San Blas, one of the most awaited days of the year in many towns of Euskal Herria.

Year after year, following the tradition of San Blas, Basque men and women gather in the churches and hermitages of our towns with the sole purpose of blessing the cords that we will carry on our backs for 9 days. Legend has it that this tradition, one of the most important of San Blas, helps to prevent the ailments and sore throats, a belief that, although it is losing followers, is still very much alive in our society.

This festivity is known by all Basques, but many are unaware of its origin and history. If this is your case, pay attention, because the history surrounding this saint is curious to say the least.

History: The figure of the saint that concerns us today, revolves around Blas of Sebaste, doctor and bishop of Sebaste, Armenia, in the fourth century. Blas was a victim of the persecution to which the Christians of that time were subjected, a fact that forced him to take refuge until Constantine freed the Christians, it was then when Blas of Sebaste returned to his episcopal see under the title of bishop. On February 3, 316 he was arrested and executed by the emperor Lunicius, since that day, the legend has endured among us, making his famous throat cures even greater. There are many legends about it, but the one that sounds the strongest is the one in which Blas de Sebaste, bishop at the time, miraculously cured a local peasant, a child, who had a thorn stuck in his throat. Thanks to this legend, St. Blaise was remembered for his divine power to heal people’s throats and even today, people still believe in the gift of the cord that bears his name, the cord of St. Blaise.

Traditions: Every February 3, San Blas is celebrated, a day, in which tradition marks the steps to follow:

A routine by which San Blas protects the bearer of the cord from throat ailments and ensures good health until February 3.

Popularity: This festivity attracts thousands of people to our towns and cities, this is the case of Bilbao, a city where more than 50 kilometers of cordon are usually sold between the stalls that are established in the esplanades of the Arenal and San Nicolas. Most of these people come en masse with the sole purpose of getting their hands on the now so typical cords, donuts, cakes, candies and sweets of San Blas.

Abadiño San Blasetan: There are many municipalities in the Basque Country that pay tribute to this saint, but from TurismoVasco.com we wanted to attest to the incredible atmosphere that invades Abadiño during this festival. This town of Bizkaia, becomes a massive party in which farmers and ranchers expose their best specimens. A great display of gastronomic power in which a beautiful representation of the animals that have lived in our farms for decades is never missing: Friesian cows, Pyrenean oxen, Latxa sheep or donkeys from Las Encartaciones are just a small sample. As for vegetables, legumes and fruits, we also have a nice range of colors in the stands that the BBK sets up next to the Abadiño’s tasting room, another of the spaces that we cannot lose sight of.

The San Blas festival program adds to all the above, a great recital of Herri Kirolak (village sports in Basque), in which the great protagonists are usually the Idi Probak (oxen trials) and eskupilota (pelota mano in Basque) matches, two references around which always moves a nice amount of bets, a classic that surrounds every Basque sport.

We recommend going by public transport or leaving the car on the outskirts of the town, because, although the sidewalks and gardens of Abadiño become sporadic parking lots during the day of San Blas, it is never enough for the thousands of visitors that the town receives during this special day.

Abadiño becomes San Blas, in the mecca of Basque traditions and culture, a nice day to know the ins and outs of our culture. Now you know all the necessary information about San Blas in the Basque Country, now you just have to enjoy.