Día de Sant Jordi

Sant Jordi, Christian martyr, lived in the 4^th century and is famous for being the allegory of the good beating the wrong. In Barcelona, city of which he has been the Holy Patron since 1094, the legend says that some day, he arrived in a city where the population was terrorized by a dragon that demanded the daily sacrifice of two young people selected at random. That day, the king's daughter was drawn but through the Christ, Sant Jordi could beat the dragon and save the princess.

In Catalonia, Sant Jordi has been celebrated on the 23^rd April since the 15^th century and the women are given a rose during the day. At the beginning it was just about giving a rose to the women who attended Mass at the Sant Jordi's chapel at the Palacio de la Generalidad de Catalunya at that date, but the tradition was expanded over the years to all women. Nowadays, they receive from their boyfriend, fiancé or husband a rose that refers to exclusive love, red-coloured that is symbol of passion, and a ear of wheat that is symbol of fecondity.

In 1926, Vicent Clavel i Andrés, a catalan writer, offered to the Barcelonians booksellers to develop a day that would celebrate books. They aggreed on the day when Cervantes, the most famous Spanish writer, was buried: the 23^th April. Thus, from the moment when this day became the official “Día del Libro”, in 1929, people have been used to giving books as well. Today, women receive a rose with a ear of wheat when the men are given a book.

The tradition is so well known that UNESCO turned the day into Wold Book and Copyright Day from 1995.

Now that you know more about this day, that can be compared to Valentin's day in Catalonia, I hope for that you're being given a rose or a book on the next 23^th April!