La Diada de Sant Jordi, or Saint George’s Day in English, is a celebration in Catalonia on the 23rd April to commemorate the death of Sant Jordi. Sant Jordi is the patron saint of Catalonia and this event has occurred every year since 1926. Loved ones exchange roses and books throughout the day, a tradition carried out since the medieval times. Therefore, the event is also known as El Día de la Rosa (The Day of the Rose) or El Día del Libre (The day of the Book).
History
Historically, men gave women roses and women gave men a book to celebrate the occasion. Now, however, the mutual exchange of books is customary. This is to commemorate the death of Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare who both died on the 23rd April. In Barcelona’s most visited street, La Rambla, and all over Catalonia, you can find thousands of stands selling roses and makeshift bookstalls. By the end of the day, around 6 million roses and 800,000 books will have been purchased. Half the yearly book sales in Catalonia take place on this occasion!
Places to visit
A good place to visit on La Diada de Sant Jordi is the Plaça Sant Jaume in Barcelona. Here the Sardana, the national dance of Catalonia is performed throughout the day. Furthermore, many book shops host readings by authors. Most importantly, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Palau de la Generalitat, Barcelona’s principal government building. It is only open 3 days a year and on La Diada, it is decorated with roses to honour Sant Jordi. Additionally, you can find many other buildings in Barcelona decorated with roses such as Casa Batlló. Casa Batlló, desgined by Gaudí, represents the fight between Sant Jordi and the dragon. The “trencar” or broken mosaic represnets the dragons scales while the cross at the top symbolises Sant Jordi’s sword. In 1995 UNESCO adopted 23rd April as World Book Day, taken from the Catalan tradition.
Plan a visit to Barcelona during this time to experience an important Catalonian tradition. Many cultural activities are organised for adults and children alike. You will also be able to try the popular Pa de Sant Jordi (Bread of Saint George) made with cured sausage (red) and cheese (yellow) representing the colours of the Catalan flag. Barcelona is the hub of La Diada activities, however, it is worth going elsewhere in Catalonia. This is particularly true in Montblanc, a town about 120km west of Barcelona, where the legend of Sant Jordi originated. This is the town in which Sant Jordi was said to have killed the dragon.
La Diada in the Community of Valencia
Furthermore, the Community of Valencia hosts its own version of La Diada de Sant Jordi. Although the Community of Valencia is separate from Catalonia, it forms part of the Catalan countries. In Valencia, the people also celebrate La Diada on the 23rd April but for a different reason. They celebrate the aid that Sant Jordi provided to the Christian troops during the Reconquista. Thousands of people dress up in medieval costumes and parade through the cities.
Key information
Date: Saturday 23rd April 2022. Festivities usually start on the evening of the 22nd April.
Time: All day
Location: All over Catalonia, especially in Barcelona. The main place to visit is La Rambla.
Price: Free. We recommend buying books and roses for loved ones, however!