patron saint

With roses and books the main stars of the feast day, Catalonia pays tribute to its patron saint like nowhere else

Catalonia’s patron saint, Sant Jordi, celebrates love and literature and joins together books and roses in one of Catalans' most beloved traditions. This year, the 23^rd of April is on a Sunday and therefore wholesalers expect rose sales to flourish the whole weekend, starting on Friday and lasting until Monday. This will allow them to maintain the same sales levels as last year's and reach the figure of 6 million roses. ‘Freedom’ is expected to be the best-selling variety of rose, distributed in more ecological and original wrappings, reducing the use of cellophane. Although some customers may go away for the weekend, florists expect sales to be compensated by the number of visitors to the city, which will exceptionally open its shops on Sunday.

Since the 15^th century, Catalonia has been celebrating the feast day of Sant Jordi (Saint George) on the 23^rd of April. Each year, people flock to the streets to celebrate this Catalan equivalent to Valentine’s Day. Traditionally, on Sant Jordi’s Day men presented their lovers with roses, while women gave their lovers a book in return. Today, both men and women give roses and books to their friends, family, and partners as a way to celebrate love and literature. More than 500 activities related to Sant Jordi and literature will be held all over Catalonia, although Barcelona is set to be the epicentre, with hundreds of stalls selling roses, bookshops taking their catalogue to the squares and renowned writers signing their novelties and meeting their fans. In the last years, Sant Jordi has also gained international recognition and will be celebrated in more than 40 countries all over the globe.