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Olentzero ((:olents̻eɾo), sometimes Olentzaro or Olantzaro) is a character in Basque Christmas tradition. According to Basque traditions Olentzero comes to town late at night on the 24th of December to drop off presents for children. In some places he arrives later, for example in Ochagavía – Otsagabia on the 27th and in Ermua on the 31st. ==The name== The name ''Olentzero'' appears in a number of variations: ''Onenzaro'', ''Onentzaro'', ''Olentzaro'', ''Ononzaro'', ''Orentzago'' and others. The earliest records give the name as ''Onentzaro'' and the name is most likely composed of two elements, ''on'' "good" plus a genitive plural ending and the suffix ''-zaro'' which in Basque denotes a season (compare words like ''haurtzaro'' "childhood"), so "time of the good ones" literally. This suggests a derivation similar to the Spanish ''nochebuena'', but the origin of ''Onentzaro'', corresponding to the old feast of the winter solstice, is older than that of Christmas (which historically replaced the festival of Sol Invictus in 380 under Theodosius I in the Roman Empire). Other theories of derivation exist but are not generally accepted:〔Agud, M. ''Diccionario Etimológico Vasco VII'', Donostia 1995〕 *from a metathesis of ''Noël'', theory of S. Altube *from a fusion of ''O Nazarene'' from Christian liturgy, theory of J. Gorostiaga *from ''oles-aro'' "alms season", a phonologically impossible derivation by Julio Caro Baroja In parts of Navarre this holiday is called ''xubilaro'' or ''subilaro'' from ''subil'', the word for a Yule log plus the suffix ''-zaro''. In parts of Lower Navarre the word ''suklaro'' is used, a contraction of ''sekularo''. ''Sekularo'' has no clear etymology but is likely to be related to Latin ''saecularis''.〔Azkue, RM 1905 ''Diccionario Vasco Español Frances'' repr. Bilbao 1984〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Olentzero」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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