The fiestas of San Fausto were celebrated during the week of October 9-17 in Durango. It is a time for gathering and celebration, and the streets are filled with people. As I had only been here a couple of weeks when they were going on, I wasn't exactly sure what was going on, and I'm still not entirely sure. All I know is that there were many cultural activities and people in traditional dress, and that I enjoyed myself immensely during the fiestas, as they were the first real fiestas that I had experienced. In the mornings, the had what I call, "The Running of the Bulls, Durango Style", where they allowed a bull to run through the city streets and people tried to avoid it. My roommates asked if I was going to run, and I told them, "I am adventurous, not stupid," and stayed safely in the bleachers that they had set up for the occasion.
Several days later, they let loose another type of creature in the streets, the gigantes and the cabezudos.
Gigantes : Giants, approximately about 12 feet tall, who walk around the streets and dance.
Cabezudos : Normal-sized people with over-sized heads who walk around the streets and hit unsuspecting bystanders, usually children, with blocks of foam. Very fun to watch
The actual day of San Fausto, October 13th, was my favorite. I was able to experience many aspects of Basque life that I had not already experienced, such as listening to the txalaparta and watching the dantzari dantza, traditional Basque dances.
The txalaparta, a traditional Basque instrument
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