The launching of the opening txupinazo rocket

The customary image that we are all used to seeing is that of one of City Hall councilors setting off the rocket to open the fiestas from the balcony of City Hall. In fact, this custom of setting off the rocket from the City Hall balcony only dates from 1941. Even then it was not a very complicated issue as to who would have the honor. It was always the President of the Festive Commission. Thus, if we look up the list of past names, the same name will often repeat several times. If anyone wanted to stand out in the crowd then this custom was a good chance for them to be in the limelight and it continued without much variation up until 1979.

By this time, live television coverage began and launching the opening txupinazo rocket took on even more importance. Too important for a mere councilor who simply organized the fiesta program. However, once the mayor, Juan Manuel Pérez Balda (1980) had had his turn, he passed the honor onto another councilor, Benicio Aguerrea, since he felt that once was enough for anyone to do it. >From then on, it was decided to rotate the honor between the different parties and councilors in City Hall. And so, in 1981 the female councilor, Elisa Chacartegui, became the first woman to set off the rocket in this way. So, the dominant political party has first choice and then it will pass to the smaller groups in order. The selfsame party will decide which of their councilors has the honor to set off the rocket.

However, in the year 2000, this custom was changed through the initiative of the Mayor and the next two years saw the txupinazo rocket being set off by sports figures. The captain of Osasuna football club, César Palacios, was given the honor one year and the following year it fell to Fermín Tajadura, the president of Portland-San Antonio handball club when the club became champions of the European Cup that same year. In 2002, the Mayor returned once again to the rotation system of the political groups in City Hall, starting off with the largest of the opposition groups in a new series of rotations.

Up to now only some 45 people have set off the txupinazo opening rocket. The usual form is to address the crowded square in Spanish and in Basque language and to acclaim the saint. However, lately there have been some slight changes in the protocol which have given risen to some comments. But within ten seconds of setting off the rocket, the fiestas swallow up all controversies.