Sant Jordi 2024 in Barcelona — how the most romantic holiday in Catalonia went
On April 23, Barcelona hosted the most unusual and romantic holiday in Catalonia — Sant Jordi, the fiesta of books and roses. This is the Spanish version of Valentine’s Day, named after the patron saint of Catalonia — St. George. It is celebrated throughout the region and the custom of giving roses to women and books to men is revered.
Every year during Sant Jordi, Barcelona is surrounded by flowers, and book fairs are held on the central streets. In 2024, there were 435 stands for residents and guests of the city, where you could buy gifts for dear people — lovers, relatives, friends. Most of the stalls have traditionally been located on La Rambla, as well as on Paseo de Gràcia and Paseo de Sant Joan.
During Sant Jordi, many bookstores and libraries held autograph sessions and events dedicated to love and literature, to which international authors were invited, among others. The opening ceremony of the holiday took place on April 22 at the Gabriel García Márquez Library, which received an international award in 2023 as the best new public library. The famous British actor and writer David Walliams performed at it.
Barcelona’s iconic basilica, the Sagrada Familia, celebrated the Feast of Sant Jordi with a beautiful digital art projection created by artificial intelligence. The audiovisual work, entitled Rosa, Rosae, will be shown until April 27 inclusive on a screen installed inside the basilica in front of the sculpture dedicated to St. George.
In 2024, the Florists Guild has planned for the sale of seven million roses on April 23. Since Sant Jordi fell on a weekday, many people bought flowers for colleagues, and even schools had flower stalls. And bookstores hoped to exceed last year’s sales of 1.87 million volumes and earn over 24 million euros.
The history of the origin of the Sant Jordi holiday is connected with a beautiful old legend. It tells the story of an evil dragon who terrorized the small Catalan town of Mont Blanc. To calm the monster, residents had to make sacrifices to it. When the lot fell on the beautiful princess, Saint George saved her by slaying the dragon with a spear. In the place where the monster’s blood was shed, a garden of roses grew. Saint George picked and gave the princess the most beautiful flower. So, since the 15th century, the custom of celebrating Valentine’s Day arose in Catalonia.
And the tradition of giving books to men in return is much more recent. In 1926, King Alfonso XIII signed a decree to celebrate Spanish Book Day on April 23. In Barcelona, on this date, booksellers organized a large book fair. And in 1931 they came up with the idea of giving everyone who bought a book a rose. This is how an unusual symbiosis of two traditions appeared in Barcelona, making the festival of Sant Jordi unique.
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