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Sant Jordi festival, Barcelona: Where St Georges Day is celebrated in Spain

Saint George is the patron saint of Spain’s Catalonia, and in Barcelona they celebrate April 23 by giving books and roses

The Day of Sant Jordi is celebrated in Barcelona on April 23 every year, coinciding with World Book Day. The day is marked by giving gifts of books and roses, as an homage to the legend of Saint George and the Dragon.

St. George’s Day is a special event for English citizens living in Spain and the world over as Saint George is the patron saint of England.

But what many people don’t know is the St. George is also the patron saint of Catalonia in Spain, and of the neighbouring autonomous community of Aragón, and that’s why very special and unique festival takes place to celebrate ‘La Diada de Sant Jordi’ in Barcelona on April 23.

What is the story of Saint George or Sant Jordi in Barcelona?

It may be a surprise to some that Barcelona and Spain’s Catalonia region celebrate St. George’s Day, and in such a strange way – by giving each other books and roses. So why do the Catalonians celebrate the Feast of Sant Jordi?

The legend of St. George and the Dragon tells that the valiant knight fought a dragon to save a princess in the Catalan village of Montblanc, and he killed it by driving his lance into its belly.

When the dragon died, a bush made entirely of blood red roses grew out of the blood it had spilled on the floor.

That’s why, on the occasion of Sant Jordi in northeast Spain, which marks the death of the saint in the year 303 AD, men traditionally give women a rose as a present.

The roses are typically sold with a sprig of wheat attached and a red and yellow ribbon, in the colours of the Catalan flag.

What do you do on Sant Jordi?

It’s not just roses, either.

The ancient tradition on Saint George’s Day in Barcelona is for men to give a rose to their love, while she gifts him a book in return.

That’s why Sant Jordi is also sometimes referred to as ‘Lovers’ Day’ (‘El Día de los Amantes’) or ‘Rose Day’ (‘El día de la Rosa’). St Jordi’s day is the most romantic day of the year in Barcelona, the local version of Valentine’s Day.

The feast of Sant Jordi is not a public bank holiday in Barcelona, so shops are open as usual. Bakeries and pastry shops may sell special food to eat for Santi Jordi, such as the Coques de Sant Jordi red and yellow striped cakes.

Nowadays, books and roses are given by anyone to anyone else. It’s not unusual to give a book to a friend or your grandparents, while some people give roses to colleagues and acquaintances of both sexes.

The main spirit of the Sant Jordi custom still holds true, though, which is why dozens of small and large book fairs pop up in Barcelona around April 23 each year to sell books on Sant Jordi Day, notably on the Rambla and the Passeig de Gracia in central Barcelona.

It helps that April 23 is also World Book Day, to mark the deaths of two of history’s greatest writers – England’s William Shakespeare and Spain’s Miguel de Cervantes – on that day in 1616. That’s why many events and activities celebrating literature are also organised.

Oh, and they sell loads of roses and flowers at the book fairs and market stalls too, of course!

So why not try celebrating a different kind of St. George’s Day this year? Do as the Spanish and the Catalan people do, and give the gift of a rose or a book to celebrate love!

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