St. George's Day — Valentine's Day in Spain (23/04)

St. George's Day or St. Jordi (La Diada de Sant Jordi), celebrated on April 23, — is the colorful Spanish equivalent of Valentine's Day. The Spaniards call this holiday Valentine's Day (The Day of Lovers).

All-knowing book sellers began to popularize this holiday in 1923, first as a day of veneration for two great writers —, the Spaniard Miguel de Cervantes and the Englishman William Shakespeare, who passed away from this life simultaneously on April 23, 1616. Barcelona, the recognized capital of the publishing house of the Spanish-speaking world, readily accepted the idea of combining literature and love.

Some researchers believe that the holiday is associated with the legend of how Saint George killed a dragon and gave the princess a red rose that grew from a drop of dragon blood.

That is why on April 23, Barcelona is literally strewn with bouquets of red roses. According to tradition, young men give their girls red roses, and girls give books to young men.

On the same day there is a «Battle with the dragon». In the square in front of the Barcelona Cathedral, a flock of dragons sits peacefully all day, allowing walkers to take pictures with them hugging them, and children to pull their tails and teeth. And at midnight they begin to slide in the darkness towards the center of the square, crowding out the spectators. Then they start hissing, snorting smoke and fire, showering the audience with burning spray...

On this day, a «Battle with the dragon» is organized (Photo: Mikhail Zahranichny, licensed from Shutterstock.com)

Then Saint George will defeat them, and as a sign of defeat, he will grow from the mouths of dragons into a bouquet of roses.

And since St. George's Day coincides with World Book and Copyright Day, in Spain booksellers have a custom of — giving a rose on this day to anyone who buys a book.

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