Catalonia is ready to celebrate one of the most important days in the region. As each April 23rd, the balconies will be filled with Senyeras (the official flag of Catalonia) and the main streets of the community will be full of book and flower stalls.
Since Sant Jordi was celebrated in 1456, patron saint of Catalonia, it is tradition to give a rose and a book. Although in the past the most typical thing was for women to receive a rose from their partner, this has changed over the years and today this festivity is celebrated among friends and family.
Although with the pandemic and health restrictions the streets of the Catalan capital have been emptier than ever for two years, in this edition it is expected to return to normality and carry out all the events that are planned. We tell you what is the origin of this tradition and what legend is hidden behind.
Give roses as a symbol of love
Although there are several stories surrounding this festivity, In the fifteenth century in Barcelona, a rose fair was held on the occasion of Sant Jordi, attended by boyfriends, fiancés and young married couples. So the most typical thing was to give a rose to his companions. As collected on the website of the Barcelona’s town hall, this event suggests that the custom may derive from there.
The legend of Sant Jordi
One of the reasons why a rose is also given is because of the history behind Sant Jordi. According to legend, in the villa of Montblanc lived a dragon that was infesting the air and its water with its breath.
As it was getting closer to the wall in search of food since it had already eaten all the animals that roamed the area, the inhabitants themselves decided that each day they would say the name of a person by show of hands so that they would become the dragon’s next victim.
One day it was the turn of the king’s daughter and, when the dragon was about to devour her, a knight appeared, Saint George, who killed the beast. Under the blood of the animal, a rosebush with red roses grew. Therefore, the knight gave one of these roses to the princess, as described National Geographic.
Why is April 23 the day of the book?
Another of the characteristics of this day is that the bookshops take to the streets, but, why is this happening? The answer is that In 1995, UNESCO established April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day. to coincide with the disappearance of Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as explained in their Web page.
However, after a while they realized that not all of the named authors died that day. But since it had already achieved great prominence, they decided to keep the date and continue paying tribute to all books and authors and promoting the importance of reading reaching as many people as possible.
In the case of Spain, this festivity dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, when the director of the Cervantes publishing house, Vicent Clavel i Andrés, proposed to the Official Book Chamber of Barcelona and the Guild of Publishers and Booksellers October 7 as the date to organize a day to promote reading and books in Catalonia. Despite this, in 1929 the Barcelona International Exposition was a great success and they decided to establish April 23 as Book Day in this Spanish region, according to the Barcelona City Council website.
Source: Lasexta
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
