SAINT THOMAS DAY

The famous celebrations for Saint Thomas’s Day take place every December 21st. The city turns into an enormous country market of which the absolute star is the txistorra (fresh chorizo-like sausage). Stalls are set up all over the city, offering all sorts of food and craft wares, mostly produced by the people from the local farmhouses. These include cheese, honey, txistorra sausage, cider and cakes.

The Santo Tomás celebrations date back to the mid-19th century, when the inhabitants of the farmhouses (baserritarras) in the province would make their way into town to pay their yearly rent to the owners of the land they worked. Making the most of their visit to the city, they would sell their agricultural produce and stock up with the things they couldn’t obtain locally. In time a fair took shape in the Plaza de la Constitución.

Source: Donostia Turismoa