Sant Jordi, an important event in Catalonia

Ah!, Catalonia, its stories, its traditions,… At PCG, we are delighted to share with you our love of this beautiful area, including the famous celebrations that will soon take place there for the Patron of Knights and the Catalan nobility, Sant Jordi.

Sant Jordi is the anniversary of the death of the patron saint of Catalonia, Sant Jordi de Cappadocia, who died on April 23rd in the year 303. This event takes place in Catalonia but is also celebrated in the Valencian region and in the Balearic Islands. This must-attend event in Spain is a celebration of books, roses and lovers. The International Book Day, which takes place on the same day, was initiated by Catalonia, Sant Jordi being not only the date of the death of the regional patron but also that of many famous authors such as Cervantes, Shakespeare or El Inca Garcilaso. On this occasion, lovers exchange books and roses, a tradition based on a pagan legend.

Catalan Legend : the Dragon of Sant Jordi - PCG Barcelona

Indeed, according to Catalan beliefs, a long time ago, a dragon would have been tyrannizing the city of Montblanc in the region of Tarragona. Every day, the people offered him two lambs, hoping to satisfy his hunger and keep him away from the village. But as food became scarce, they had no choice but to send one of their own instead of the lambs. Since no one had appointed themselves, the princess of the Kingdom was sent there. When she arrived at the beast’s lair, she found Knight Jorge, who defeated the dragon. From the creature’s blood appeared a rose that the knight gave to the princess. Thus was born the tradition of offering roses to his beloved. In return, the women offered their “knight” a book.

Things to see at Sant Jordi in Barcelona

➤ Take time to stroll through the streets of Barcelona, along the ramblas, transformed for the occasion into a large book and flower market.

➤ One of the buildings to see absolutely on April 23rd is the Casa Batllo, whose mask-shaped balconies are covered in red (Be careful though, this year the Casa Batllo is under renovation and its masks may not be visible!).

➤ On this festive day, many museums and attractions organise open days, shows or other specific events, such as the night of the Sagrada Familia. A mass is also celebrated in the chapel of the Palace of Generalitat of Catalonia in honour of Sant Jordi. During the celebration, a rose is offered to each woman.

The celebration of Sant Jordi in Barcelona - PCG Barcelona

This event is an opportunity for many independent authors to make themselves known, or for students to earn some pocket money by selling bookmarks. Do not hesitate to contact us for any printing project, we will be happy to help you with your work.

Contact with PCG

If you need a personalised quotation or would like our team to provide you with assessment for your projects, please feel free to contact us. We are a team of professionals from the sector that will look after your project from beginning to end.

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