GOOSE DAY in LEKEITIO, BASQUE COUNTRY

2018 Sep 05 Day 4 -- Today, the whole town of Lekeitio was in festive mood, celebrating the San Antolín festivity with a long tradition of neck-grabbing competition of a live or rubber goose, known as the Goose Day, "Antzar Eguna" or "Día de los Gansos". This year 2018, live geese were used and hung upside down with a rope. Participants, onboard their colorful flagships often a whaling boat or scoop, lined up to try their chance in beheading the goose. One representative of this group would then grab and pull on the neck of a hang-goose while being pulled up and down the rope by a group of men volunteers. The rhythmic pulling motion made the individual participant to bounce up/down into the air and subsequently into the water. The one who successfully beheaded the goose is the winner of this competition. The entire town was painted in blue, as the natives of Lekeitio were all dressed in a uniform blue shirt/skirt of "nankeen" with "gingham" neckerchief around their neck. The event concluded with lively music/dancing and street performances. Goose day in Lekeitio is definitely one of the craziest festivals we have ever seen.