This rose that we are offering you from our hotel is the main symbol of one of the most special and beloved holidays in Catalonia: the day of Sant Jordi, which is the patron saint of Catalonia.
La Diada, which we celebrate on April 23rd, is a festival that turns the streets of Barcelona into a huge open-air bookstore and flower shop, with the streets full of people walking around buying books and roses to offer as gifts. Although traditionally it was mainly couples who exchanged books and roses, nowadays the tradition is more widespread and anyone, even children, give roses and books to their beloved ones and people they want to thank.
But where does this tradition come from? Today’s day combines two important dates: the celebration of Sant Jordi, patron saint of Catalonia, and the International Book Day.
The Catalan Valentine’s
In addition to being the patron saint of Catalonia, a symbol of our identity, Sant Jordi is for Catalans what Valentine’s is for the rest of the world. Legend says that he was a brave knight who saved the town of Montblanc from an evil dragon that stalked the city and had everyone in fear. To calm his anger, the townspeople had decided to sacrifice one person each day, chosen by lot, and offer them to the dragon as a sign of good will.
Thus, one day it was the King’s daughter’s turn to be offered to the dragon. But the lucky princess was saved by Sant Jordi, who was just passing through the area riding his white horse, and killed the dragon with his spear. From the spilled blood of the dragon sprouted a beautiful rose bush of red roses, which today are given as a token of affection and esteem.
International Book Day
The celebration of Book Day dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, to commemorate the birth of writer Miguel de Cervantes. It was however in 1930, when April 23rd was marked as the date of celebration in memory of the date on which Cervantes had been buried. April 23rd is also the date of the death of another of the greatest writers in history: William Shakespeare. Later, in 1995, UNESCO established April 23rd as World Book Day, although Catalans have been celebrating it for a century now.
To celebrate these anniversaries, bookstores go out on the streets to sell their books and the best-known writers offer to sign their books.
What to do in Sant Jordi
Sant Jordi is a day to simply walk through the central streets of the city and enjoy the atmosphere, buy some roses to give to your loved ones and purchase a book, which today has a 10% discount. Our hotel has a truly privileged location to enjoy this day.
If you want to know more about the activities prepared, you can visit the Barcelona City Council website:
We also recommend visiting Casa Batlló, whose construction is precisely inspired by the Sant Jordi dragon, and which for this day decorates its façade with roses. You will find all the information on the official webpage.
