Today, and every 23rd of April, we celebrate Sant Jordi, or Saint George, in Barcelona, in particular, and Catalonia in general. So, happy Sant Jordi to you!
Sant Jordi, or Saint George, is the patron saint of Catalonia. Over the years, Sant Jordi’s day has become a celebration of Catalan culture. Thus you will see the Catalan flag displayed in many places. It is also a celebration of culture and love, represented by books and roses.
A book and a rose festival
It combines, in one festival, both Book Day and the Catalan version of Valentine’s day. Indeed, the 23rd of April is World Book and Copyright Day. This date commemorates the death of several renowned writers like Shakespeare and Cervantes.
And, it seems that in the 15th Century, there was a rose fair in Barcelona that was popular among lovers. This event probably started the custom of offering a rose.
Somehow the two events converged into one special day: Sant Jordi.
Sant Jordi, a local version of Valentine’s day
For some reason, I get more excited about the idea of Sant Jordi than of the 14th of February. Sant Jordi feels less commercial and authentic because it is proper to Catalonia, and many people adhere to it.
Traditionally, on that day, couples exchanged books and roses. Men were given books and women red roses. So on the 23rd of April, you see (mainly red) rose stalls and book stands on many streets of Barcelona, mainly on the Ramblas and Passeig de Gracia. You can also get a book signed by its writer at a stall, in some instances.
Sant Jordi’s gender attribution
Nowadays, gender attribution is more open. A woman can receive a book and a man a rose. You can also give a red rose or a book to a friend or a family member. I, for instance, got two roses. One was a gift from a (girl) friend.
The legend of the Princess and the Dragon
The story I like the most about Sant Jordi is the legend of the dragon and the princess. A terrible dragon made the villagers’ lives in Montblanc, a town in Tarragona, miserable.
To keep the dragon away, they fed him with the animals and then the town’s people. When it was the King’s daughter’s turn to be fed to him, a knight called Jordi appeared. He killed the dragon, and the blood on the ground transformed into a red rose bush.
The knight then picked the most beautiful rose and gave it to the princess. I believe they lived happily ever after but each one on his/her own :).
Sant Jordi in Sant Pau Recinte Modernista
Today is one of the rarest times I am in Barcelona for Sant Jordi. I usually galavant around the world during the Easter period taking advantage of the 2 Easter Bank holidays and the 1st of May holiday.
This year, as I am confined in Barcelona and cannot travel, I have decided to explore what was on in the city: check out the books and admire the roses on sale. Now they even sell blue ones!!! There were also some programmed events in Barcelona. The one I am particularly interested in is Sant Pau’s special activity day for Sant Jordi.
Details on the event
From 10h to 14h, today, the entrance to Sant Pau Recinte Modernista is free. There will be several cultural activities on offer around the legend of Sant Jordi, books, and recitals.
I have offered a free ticket to Sant Pau’s event on my Instagram profile. In the future, I will also announce on the blog when I have more free tickets. But not to miss them, please follow both the blog and my IG profile if you have one!
And, if you want inspiration for a romantic weekend in Barcelona, check here.