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San Juan, Argentina.  A double celebration was held on June 24 gathering Basques of the capital city and province of San Juan at a luncheon that was well attended.  On the one hand, the 450 anniversary of the founding of the province was celebrated, and on the other they celebrated Saint John, a saint that inspired the founders when naming the new lands.  The festive atmosphere extended for one more week with the flames that announced the beginning of winter took place also on June 30 (we remind our readers that winter in this Southern corner of America begins on June 21) in this corner of the Andes. 

The event was carried out jointly with youth from the neighborhood of El Vivero in the town of Santa Lucia, next to the province’s capital, who were very enthusiastic.  According to the Basque club the goal of the activity was "to integrate and to improve the connections of the Basque club to the surrounding community.  Additionally, we need to keep in mind that in the past it was common for people to build bonfires in honor of Saint John, so the Basque celebration of the tradition served to incorporate this spirit and the significance of the fire.”

Regarding upcoming activities, the club has announced that it is also organizing Saint Ignatius celebrations; although yet to be confirmed, the members and friends of the club are hoping to have Basque violinist/cellist Iñaki Etxepare giving a concert at the Victoria auditorium of San Juan.