Saint George's Day
Saint George's Day is the feast day of Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, and cities of which he is the patron saint, including Bulgaria, England, Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Cáceres, Alcoy, Aragon and Catalonia.
Sai ...
(San Jorge in
Castillian/Spanish and Sant Jordi in
Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
) is celebrated annually on April 23.
Andalusia
Saint Geroge's day is not celebrated in
Andalusia
Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...
.
Aragón
In 1978 Aragón officially declared April 23 as a celebration for San Jorge and titled it "Dia de Aragón". Day of Aragon commemorates the
Battle of Alcoraz, when
Huesca
Huesca (; an, Uesca) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the comarca of Hoya de Huesca. In 2009 it had a population of 52,059, almo ...
was conquered by the Aragonese army and where San Jorge allegedly appeared to the Christian forces at a critical moment in the battle, aiding them to victory for the "
True Faith".
Cantabria
The town Viérnoles in Cantabria celebrates several days of "Las Fiestas de San Jorge" at the end of April and or beginning of May.
Extremadura
Each year
Extremadura
Extremadura (; ext, Estremaúra; pt, Estremadura; Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is an autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central-western part of the Iberian Peninsula, it ...
celebrations focus on the Christian
reconquest of the city of Cáceres. Festivities include the "burning of the dragon" and dramatizes re-enactments of the battles between Christians and Muslims. In addition, there is a procession to the shrine of the Virgin of La Montaña, a bonfire competition, and a search for two golden eggs hidden in Cáceres.
Catalonia
''La Diada de Sant Jordi'' (, Saint George's Day), also known as ''El Dia de la Rosa'' (The Day of the Rose), or ''El Dia del Llibre'' (The Day of the Book), or the
Day of Books and Roses. In
Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...
the main activity is the exchange of roses and books between sweethearts, loved ones and colleagues. Historically, men gave women
rose
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
s, and women gave men a book to celebrate the occasion – "a rose for love and a book forever." The fair of roses was called the lovers' fair because it was attended by engaged and recently married couples.
In modern times, the mutual exchange of books is also customary. Roses have been associated with this day since medieval times, but the giving of books is a more recent Catalan tradition originating in 1923, when a writer and publisher, Vicente Cavel, started to promote the holiday as a way to commemorate the nearly simultaneous deaths of
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best kno ...
and
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
on 23 April 1616.
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
is the publishing capital of both
Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
and Spanish languages, and the combination of love and literacy was quickly adopted.
The
sardana
The ''sardana'' (; plural ''sardanes'' in Catalan) is a Catalan musical genre typical of Catalan culture and danced in circle following a set of steps. The dance was originally from the Empordà region, but started gaining popularity throughou ...
, the national dance of Catalonia, is performed throughout the day in the
Plaça Sant Jaume
The Plaça de Sant Jaume (, in English "Saint James's Square") is a square at the center of the Old City of Barcelona and the administrative heart of both the city and surrounding Catalonia. This is because the Palace of the Generalitat of Catal ...
in Barcelona. Many book stores and cafes host readings by authors (including 24-hour marathon readings of different classics of
Catalan literature
Catalan literature is the name conventionally used to refer to literature written in the Catalan language. The focus of this article is not just the literature of Catalonia, but literature written in Catalan from anywhere, so that it includes writ ...
or
Spanish literature
Spanish literature generally refers to literature ( Spanish poetry, prose, and drama) written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the Kingdom of Spain. Its development coincides and frequently intersects wi ...
). Street performers and musicians in public squares add to the day's atmosphere.
23 April is also one of only three days a year when the
Palau de la Generalitat
The Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya is a historic palace in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It houses the offices of the Presidency of the Generalitat de Catalunya. It is one of the few buildings of medieval origin in Europe that still function ...
, Barcelona's principal government building, is open to the public. The interior is decorated with roses to honour Saint George.
Catalonia exported its tradition of the book and the rose to the rest of the world. In 1995,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
adopted 23 April as
World Book Day
World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and co ...
.
Valencia
The Community of
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
celebrates St George's Day with a different intensity, though in several zones it has similarities to
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
, like in Catalonia.
One notable celebration is in the Valencian city of
Alcoi
Alcoy ( ca-valencia, Alcoi) is an industrial and university city, region and municipality located in the Valencian Community, Spain. The Serpis river crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoy. The local authority reported a population of 61,135 res ...
. There, Saint George's Day is commemorated as a thanksgiving celebration for the proclaimed aid the Saint provided to the Christian troops fighting the Muslims in the siege of the city. Its citizens commemorate the day with a festivity in which thousands of people parade in medieval costumes, forming two "armies" of
Moors and Christians and re-enacting the siege that gave the city to the Christians.
References
External links
Visits to the Palau (in Catalan)
{{Saint George
Events in Aragon
Catalan culture
Catalan traditions
Culture in Barcelona
Saint George's Day
National days
Public holidays in Spain