For the non-Basques, perhaps the best part of Basque life is the bestak or jaiak, the festival. Born out of an ancient European peasant tradition, the town festival, usually held in honor of the town's patron saint, was a chance for the youth of the village, who usually had to work the fields seven days a week, to socialize and meet each other (some eventually married). Usually beginning with a Catholic mass in honor of the patron saint, the day would continue with a performance of the town's dance group, dancing the traditional local dances. The town's people would then take refreshments at a local pub or hotel and in the afternoon there might be a pilota game or some local champions might be pitted against each other in one of the traditional local sports, such as the harri jasotzalari (weighted lifter) seen here. The festival would break up then with the older people returning home or back to the restaurant or bar to eat, drink, chat and/or sing. The younger people usually remained for a public dance.

A competitive spirit...