Sant Jordi - Catalan

Hello! I am the festival of Sant Jordi. People celebrate me every year on April 23rd in a part of Spain called Catalonia. For the people there, I am a very special day to celebrate love, reading, and their culture.

My story is connected to a famous legend about a brave knight. In the Catalan language, his name is Sant Jordi, which means Saint George. The legend tells a story about how he fought a fierce dragon to save a princess. After the dragon was defeated, something amazing happened. A beautiful bush with red roses grew from that spot, and Sant Jordi picked one to give to the princess.

Because of that old story, one of my most important traditions is giving roses. For hundreds of years, people have followed this custom. On my day, they give a single red rose to someone they love. The rose is a symbol of their affection, just like the one Sant Jordi gave to the princess in the legend.

A much newer tradition started about 100 years ago. Besides giving roses, people also began to give books as gifts. This idea started in a city called Barcelona as a way to remember and honor famous writers. It was such a wonderful idea that it quickly became just as important as giving a rose.

Today, when people celebrate me, they combine both of my traditions. The streets of towns and cities in Catalonia fill up with stalls selling colorful roses and all kinds of books. Friends and family exchange these gifts with one another. My book-giving tradition became so popular that it helped inspire a holiday for the whole world, which is now called World Book Day.