It may seem strange, but the txistorra – a kind of pork sausage – is the main attraction of Santo Tomás Christmas fair, a place where tradition rules. The celebration of this rural market is the perfect moment for buying to fill the pantry before Christmas Day.
This fair dates from s. XIX, when the farmers of Guipúzcoa came to San Sebastián to pay their taxes during the day of Santo Tomás. In addition, they took advantage of their visit to the city to sell their products and buy what they could not find in the villages.
The Santo Tomás fair is celebrated on December 21St and 22Nd, in Plaza de la Constitución and its surrounding streets. There, more than a hundred specialized stands in cheese, txakoli, donuts, honey and sweets can be find. The majority of these products are made by Basque farmers.
The fair also includes an exhibition of farm animals – mainly pigs and chickens -, and the sale of organic fruits and vegetables. However, the txistorra of Euskal Herria, the talo –a Basque bread- and the cider are the most demanded products.
If you want to visit the Santo Tomás fair, you will have the opportunity of come across with other activities, such as the Scarecrow contest, the product tasting or the traditional costumes. On the other hand, the music provide by bertsolaris (Basque singers of improvised verse), trikitilaris (accordion-players), txalapartaris (players of wooden sticks) aim the streets.
You can find more information about the Plaza Constitución in this link.
