La Diada de Sant Jordi – books and roses celebrate Catalonia’s patron saint

by David | Events

Flower stalls for Sant Jordi in Barcelona

In England St George’s Day seemed to always pass without my being conscious of it whatsoever, and indeed, I would have struggled to tell you that it is celebrated on April 23rd.

However, things are very different in Catalonia, where La Diada de Sant Jordi – St George’s Day – is celebrated as the equivalent of Valentine’s Day and it is traditional that a man gives his sweetheart a rose; arguably he gets the best side of the deal though, as he receives a book from his loved one.

The result is that across Barcelona you’ll see flower stalls selling roses, while many areas will have book fairs – if you walk down the Ramblas you’ll be fighting with book stalls as well as the usual mixture of tourists and locals. The event is so widely celebrated that half of all book sales in Catalonia are supposed to take place for Sant Jordi!

In addition to the books and roses, you’ll also see the Catalan flag in abundance, and while it isn’t a public holiday, the University of Barcelona is closed for Sant Jordi and throughout the city you’ll see people of all ages with a rose or book in hand.