Experience Sant Jordi Day
Sant Jordi Day, also known as St. George's Day, is a significant cultural and literary celebration in Barcelona, Catalonia, and other parts of Catalonia's region in Spain. It takes place annually on April 23rd. Sant Jordi Day is considered the Catalan equivalent of Valentine's Day and is a day to celebrate love, literature, and culture.
The origins of Sant Jordi Day date back to medieval times and are rooted in the legend of Saint George (Sant Jordi in Catalan). According to the legend, Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia, defeated a ferocious dragon to save a princess and the entire kingdom. From the blood of the dragon, a rosebush with red roses emerged. Saint George plucked a rose and gave it to the princess as a symbol of his love and victory.
On Sant Jordi Day, the streets of Barcelona come alive with a festive atmosphere. The tradition is for men to give women a rose, symbolizing the rose given to the princess in the legend, while women give men a book, honoring the death anniversary of famous writers William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, both of whom died on April 23rd, 1616. Book and flower stalls fill the streets, and people exchange roses and books as gifts.
The celebration of Sant Jordi Day goes beyond the exchange of roses and books. Authors and illustrators gather in the city to sign copies of their books and engage with readers. Bookstores and publishing houses organize book signings, literary events, and readings. It is a day when the love for literature and culture is embraced and celebrated throughout the city.
Sant Jordi Day is a beloved tradition in Barcelona, attracting both locals and visitors. The vibrant atmosphere, the scent of roses in the air, and the opportunity to discover new books make it a special day for bookworms and romantics alike.
The young ones also participate in this festivity. You could see them browsing and taking interest in reading books at an early age. It’s a great tradition to get the youth of today not forget that reading books are still basis of knowledge and not to be substituted by the social media.
Festivities in any place that we are visiting is one of the many things that we remember when traveling. We get to see locals celebrating their own way makes us open our eyes and get to see what’s going on. When I experienced San Jordi Day for the first time, our school director at that time organized visits to nursing homes for women. I was so touched, because the elderly women were elated with our presence and the flowers handed to them.
I just love walking around early in the morning and that’s when you get the first look of the places and that the stands being set up.
On Sant Jordi Day, I love walking early in the morning when bookstands are still setting up their place. Usually,
After many years of living in this city which has become a home to me, Sant Jordi Day is one of my favorite feast. The best time to enjoy it is walking early in the morning when bookstands are still being set up and getting a look at the books and their displays. It is a great way to start in the morning before a flock of locals and visitors occupy the stands. At this time, I just watched what’s going on and refrain from going to shoulder with people.
My first experience celebrating Sant Jordi Day was visiting elderly women. Right after our Spanish class people after our Spanish class. We went to a couple of nursing homes next to this schoo and gave elderly women roses. all participated on this very day. it meant a lot to me, because I think that’s really nice thing to do when the elderly don’t have anybody and suddenly, you got these young people visiting you. Well, I wasn’t that young at that time, but I was with young people — migrants from Morocco. I think young Moroccans and other nationalities try to assimilate in the society.
It seems like for the past many years in Barcelona, light showers have been a common sight on Sant Jordi Day. Well, it’s springtime and it’s pleasant to stay outside the whole day.