Oñati will once again host the Hika Eguna, organized by the group Ingo Xonau! with the support of the Town Council. This will be the fifth edition, taking place on June 20th, and will serve to remember and honor Pili Irazabal, a dedicated Basque language advocate who passed away last year. The event will be held in the town hall's arcades, aiming for a warm and inclusive atmosphere.
Irazabal was a well-known figure in Oñati for her extensive community involvement. She was a teacher at Txantxiku ikastola for many years, a member of the conversation group Pake leku, a facilitator for a reading club, one of the coordinators for blood donors, and a passionate supporter of the hika dialect. Notably, she was one of the 54 women interviewed to document the use of noka in Oñati. Consequently, the microphone will be open for anyone wishing to share a word or a song in her memory.
The program will follow the event's established traditions: midday will feature a hika-poteo (a social gathering with drinks where participants use hika) followed by a lunch in hika, including games designed to practice the dialect. In the afternoon, the group EinGo will lead a musical tour through the town's streets, moving from bar to bar with singing and dancing.
The organizers emphasize that no prior knowledge of hika is required to participate; simply being willing to listen is enough.
Previous years have seen a vibrant atmosphere, and all those interested in practicing hika are encouraged and invited to join. Registration for the lunch, to be held at the Iturritxo restaurant, is required and can be done at the Irizar tobacconist.
The Ingo Xonau! group was founded with the aim of revitalizing the noka dialect, and since 2019, they have organized various activities to achieve this goal. The fifth hika course recently concluded, taught by Beatriz Irizar, with ten local residents participating.
