In Catalonia, the Day of Sant Jordi (Saint George) is celebrated on April 23rd, a festivity that has become a very important cultural and literary tradition in the region. But where does this celebration come from and what is the story behind it? In this article, we'll tell you about the legend of Sant Jordi and how it has become a symbol of the Catalan culture.
The legend
The legend of Sant Jordi tells the story of a knight who, with his bravery and courage, defeated a terrible dragon that terrorized the town of Montblanc. Faced with the terror that the dragon imposed on the village and the entire region, the King summoned the entire town and they agreed to give the beast a couple of lambs every day, which calmed the dragon and left the Montblanquines alone. Finished the lambs, they gave him oxen and horses, and when they no longer had any animal, they decided that, by lottery among the inhabitants of the town, each day they would give him one person. The King's daughter was in charge of drawing lots. In the middle of the square, surrounded by all the people, the innocent hand of the princess extracted the name of the first Montblanquí destined for sacrifice. It was herself! Everyone burst into tears, but the princess went out to meet her fate. She said goodbye to his parents, the people of the court and the town, and went towards the forest, to the dragon's lair.
The forest was beautiful, but the maiden did nothing but pray to God, considering her time well arrived. But suddenly, she was shocked to see in front of her a young knight, armed from head to toe and riding on a snow-white horse.
The princess begged the knight not to risk certain death for her. He told her that his name was Jordi and that he came from other lands to save her.
The fight between Sant Jordi and the dragon was long and difficult, but in the end, the knight managed to plunge his sword into the animal's heart, freeing the princess and saving the town. According to legend, a red rose bush was born from the blood of the dragon, and Sant Jordi gave a rose to the princess as a symbol of his love.
The tradition
In the XV Century, a rose fair was already held in Barcelona on the occasion of Sant Jordi day (Saint George Day). Mostly boyfriends, fiancés and young married couples attended, which suggests that the custom of giving a rose has its origins in this festival, which was held in the Palau de la Generalitat.
On the other hand, the origin of the day associated with the book can be located in the twenties of the last century, when the Valencian writer Vicent Clavel Andrés, director of the Cervantes publishing house, proposed to the Official Book Chamber of Barcelona and the Publishers Guild and Booksellers to hold a party to promote books in Catalonia. The date chosen was October 7, 1927.
In 1929, during the Barcelona International Exposition, the booksellers decided to organize themselves and go out into the streets to set up stalls to present novelties and encourage reading. The initiative was so successful that it was decided to change the date and establish April 23rd as Book Day, a date that coincides with the death of two great authors in the history of literature: Cervantes and Shakespeare.
Today the most popular tradition is to give a rose and a book, in honor of the rose that Sant Jordi gave to the princess and the fact that April 23 is book day.
During this day, the streets of Catalonia are filled with stalls selling roses and books, and people exchange these gifts as a sign of affection and friendship. It is a very beautiful tradition that has managed to last to this day.
In addition, numerous cultural and literary events are also organized during this day. Bookstores and libraries offer special discounts and organize talks and book presentations, while the streets are filled with music and dance performances.
The legend of Sant Jordi is a story full of symbolism and meaning, and the celebration of its day has become a very important tradition in Catalonia and one of the favorite days for Catalans.
With the rose and the book as symbols, this festivity is a sign of the love for culture and literature in this region of Spain.
