CORPUS CHRISTI

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Besta Berri ArmendarizThere is a Christian festivity at the beginning of June of great religious significance: the Feast of Corpus Christi. In Lapurdi and Nafarroa Beherea, it is known as Besta Berri. It continues to be observed in a handful of localities. The feast is celebrated on two Sundays in June, and apart from a spectacular parade, it counts with an element that makes it singular: the dance performed inside the church. Amongst ancient Basque people, the habit of dancing in the interior of the temple was widely spread: however, the practice was prohibited in the 16th century. The custom was introduced in Euskal Herria in the 14th century, although the costumes nowadays worn by the participants in the parade date from the 19th century. In Southern Euskal Herria, the finest example of this antique custom remains in Oñati, doubtlessly. Nevertheless, in the olden times the festival was better established and must have been pretty colourful with the presence of giants and dragons.