Basque ethnography at a glance

The Fair of Saint Andrew in Gordexola. Source: Photographic Archive of Labayru Fundazioa.

Every year, at the end of November and the beginning of December, Gordexola is transformed on the occasion of the Saint Andrew’s Fair. Molinar Square, the fields and the surrounding streets fill with tents, animals, craft stalls and people arriving both from the district and from nearby areas. The San Andrés Fair is a deeply rooted tradition in Enkarterri. Although documented since 1709, its origins run much deeper in the memory of the rural world.

In its early days, in a context in which livestock farming held paramount importance, the Saint Andrew’s Fair became the economic centre of life in Gordexola. In the economy of the farmhouses of the time, large livestock —oxen, cows, horses— were not only economic assets; they were also fundamental elements that guaranteed each family’s working capacity, status and survival. The fair therefore represented the most important day of the year for the baserritarras, whether to close deals or to renew commercial relationships. But its significance was not limited to the economic sphere: it was also an opportunity to bring together people from the surrounding area and played an essential role in shaping the community.

Donkey of Enkarterri. Source: Photographic Archive of Labayru Fundazioa.

As time went by and industrialization arrived, transforming livestock practices, the fair adapted its character as well. Despite the changes, it did not disappear; the people of Gordexola kept the tradition alive. In recent decades, competitions and exhibitions have been adapted so that animals remain the main focus. The presence of livestock is no longer merely part of an economic transaction; it has also become an act of intergenerational transmission and a reaffirmation of the memory and culture of the farmhouse. An example of this is the Enkarterri Donkey Competition, featuring an emblematic animal of the valley that is now protected due to its endangered status.

From the second half of the twentieth century onwards, the Saint Andrew’s Fair acquired a new dimension. The presence of local products and crafts increased. Every year it is common to see numerous stalls selling cheese, honey, bread, cured meats or txakoli. Moreover, trades that once formed part of everyday life are now presented as artisanal crafts: basketry, carpentry or ceramics, among others.

Today, the Saint Andrew’s Fair and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception —which coincide on the calendar— have become a popular celebration held on the first Sunday of December. Livestock competitions and exhibitions continue to attract numerous participants, helping to keep part of traditional livestock farming alive. But the fair today is much more: the atmosphere that fills the village streets, the music, the workshops, the children’s activities and the large influx of visitors are signs of its renewed identity. For this reason, the Saint Andrew’s Fair is not merely a trace of Gordexola’s past; it is a living and revitalized expression of the village’s present-day spirit.

Nerea Etxebarria – Labayru Fundazioa