The Catalans expect a Sant Jordi 2024 with more flowers than ever. Because yes, flowers are the protagonists of this celebration. The Catalans They will give away 7 million roses during this year’s celebration, 20% more than last year and the highest figure since the pandemic. But when will this happen? The celebration will land this Tuesday April 23, 2024with the flowers and books as the two great elements of the day. The thing about flowers has to do with a legend that circulates through Catalonia. It is said that a dragon resided in Montblanc that made life impossible for men and beasts. The inhabitants then decided to choose a person to sacrifice. The election was by lottery and, at one point, the chosen one was the king’s daughter. However, the “appearance of a beautiful knight” prevented such a sacrifice from being carried out. In fact, he himself faced the dragon and ended his life. The legend says that of that slaughter spilled a river of blood that became a rose bush with red flowersthe same ones that are given away every Sant Jordi.

Why books are given away on Sant Jordi

The truth is Sant Jordi It is linked to books by another festival that was promoted by a Valencian writer, Vicent Clavel Andrés. This man, who lived in Barcelona, ​​proposed the idea before the Official Book Chamber of Barcelona. Dedicate a day to books. The The chosen date was October 7, 1926.but a few years later changed to April 23 to coincide with the deaths of writers Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare, as well as the birth or death of Josep Pla (1981), Maurice Druon (1918), K. Laxness (1902), Vladimir Nabokov (1899) or Manuel Mejía Vallejo (1923). The celebration was very well received in Catalonia and publishers began to use this date to present the latest news, especially those written in Catalan.

On the other hand, the tradition was established for couples to give each other roses and books. At first, men received books and women received roses. But now the exchange has nothing to do with gender. The holiday has evolved and both genders receive both books and roses.