Offering books and roses to the beloved ones: Catalans celebrate Sant Jordi Day

Barcelona (ACN).- On the 23^rd of April, Catalans celebrate one of their dearest festivities of the year: Sant Jordi (Saint George). The day is Catalonia's equivalent to Valentine's Day in the Anglo-Saxon world but it also represents a homage to literature and reading. Traditionally men offered red roses to their girlfriends or wives, and women offered a book in return. Nowadays, both men and women offer books and roses to those they love, whether their life partners, parents, siblings, relatives, friends or even work colleagues. On almost every corner and on the main streets throughout Catalonia there are stands covered with the Catalan flag selling either roses or books. In addition, many authors spend the entire day touring around different book stands to meet their readers and sign copies of their books. It is the year's main day celebrating love but it is also the most important day for the publishing industry, selling around 8% of their yearly sales and advertising the latest titles and editions. In a country with 7.5 million people, some 7 million roses are sold and 1.5 million books on this single day.

Sant Jordi day is truly special since almost everybody joins the celebration despite being a working day. Almost all Catalans try to find a moment in the morning, at lunch time or in the afternoon to walk around the streets and look through many books to find those to buy for themselves or to offer to their beloved ones. People gather in front of improvised tables piled with books placed on the sidewalk. Furthermore, many of them are carrying roses, which they have received or which they will offer to someone. Schools and many companies also join the celebration, with book stands being placed in education centres and people offering roses to their work colleagues. There are also many NGOs and charities which sell roses or books to raise funds, as well as groups of students raising funds to pay for their school trips.

A rooted Catalan tradition

Sant Jordi is one of the dearest Catalan traditions and is probably the best day of the year for many Catalans. Saint George is the Patron Saint of many countries and cities throughout the world, including Catalonia. The legend says that Saint George, who was a brave knight, killed a dragon that had captured a princess. Once the beast was dead, a rosebush emerged from the animal's blood. The knight picked the finest red rose and offered it to the princess as a sign of love. Following this legend, since the 15^th century, Saint George's Day – which is the 23^rd of April - is the day Catalans celebrate love.

However, following political repression against Catalonia's national symbols, the festivity was cancelled for centuries because Saint George was the country's Patron Saint. However, in 1914, coinciding with the restoration of the first institutions of self-government in Catalonia since 1714, the rose tradition was also restored. In 1928, the book and publishing guilds managed to modify the tradition and included the custom of women offering a book in return for the red rose. They justified the idea because Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare died with a few hours of each other on the 22^nd and 23^rd of April of 1616 respectively. Therefore, for almost 90 years Catalans have been offering books and roses every Sant Jordi's Day, a tradition that has started to be copied in other parts of the world.