Barcelona is all about roses, books and lovers on April 23rd each year. In Catalonia World Book Day also becomes an especially romantic festival. People celebrate the day of their patron saint, Sant Jordi (Saint George), with a curious tradition. On this day, it is customary for couples to exchange gifts: the men receive a book and the women receive a rose. However, this has developed over time, so both men and women can receive books and roses. Book and flower stalls are set up along the streets of Barcelona. The streets fill with people walking around stalls, looking for a gift for their beloved, and for their family and friends too. It’s also become a popular day for authors and bookshops to hold book signings and readings.

This is one of the most keenly anticipated and widely celebrated Catalan public holidays. According to the traditional tale, Sant Jordi killed the dragon that used to live in Montblanc where it terrorized the local population, thus saving the king’s daughter from certain death. Legend has it that a beautiful rose bush sprang up in the spot where the dragon’s blood was spilled. From the 18th century onward, the Sant Jordi festival became widely identified as a Catalan ‘fiesta’ which these days arouses great popular, civic and cultural passion.