The rose I gave to my Dear

April, 23 is the day of St. George, patron saint of Portugal, England and Catalonia, among other countries and regions. He is also the patron of the Boy Scouts and of Brazilian football clube Corinthians. April, 23 is also the International Day of the Book.

Here in Catalonia, the “Diada de Sant Jordi”, as that date is known in Catalan, is traditionally the day to give gifts for lovers. And it can’t be any gift: it must be books or roses. Men usually receive books from their loved ones, and, in return, they give them a rose accompanied by an ear of wheat and the “senyera”, the Catalan flag. The rose symbolizes the passion, the wheat is the fertility, the senyera symbolizes Catalonia.

The tradition of women being gifted with a rose dates back to the fifteenth century, while the tradition of giving a book is more recent.

Sant Jordi’s is the day to make a tribute the Catalan culture, to promote concerts, cultural activities, autograph sessions of famous authors, and so on. In Barcelona and other cities of Catalonia, there are hundreds of tents, improvised or not, selling books and roses. In every corner of every neighbourhood, we can find someone selling roses, while the book stalls stay mainly in city center.

Interestingly, this “Diada de Sant Jordi” has an extra component to the festivities in Barcelona: the match for the semifinals of the Champions League between Barcelona and Manchester United. A Catalan team against an English team, both protected by the Saint George!

How is such a confrontation going to finish? Check here.

PS: If you want to send a virtual Sant Jordi’s rose, click on this link to La Vanguardia, the largest newspaper of Catalonia.

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