St George is the patron saint of Catalonia, and on the 23rd you will find people selling roses on literally every street corner, and bookstalls set up with roughly the same frequency.


As a "gentleman" you are supposed to give your lady a rose, the rose being said to have sprung from where the dragon's blood fell; as a lady you are supposed to give your partner a book. The book comes either from the fact that April 23rd also happens to be the date of the deaths of both Shakespeare and Cervantes and is therfore World Book Day or from the fact that it's a golden opportunity to sell some books!!


It has apparently become a little commercialised, but it's still a fun tradition and, judging by the large amounts of people on the streets a very much celebrated one!


We witnessed this for the first time last year. Not knowing about this tradition I of course did not buy a book for hubby or either did I receive my rose! No doubt it will be all different this year!!



Come to Barcelona on the 23rd of April and join in the transformation of Barcelona into a town of celebration.


Although this is not a national holiday, the crowded streets and the bustle of rose and book-buying and carrying give a happy party atmosphere.


Everywhere there are stalls selling single roses, decorated with the red and yellow Catalan colours, or the stalls sell books, or both. The streets, metro stations, even the roof top of a Gaudi house open to the public have a stall, or sometimes a couple of students, selling roses or books. The bookstalls alone number over three hundred.


Interestingly it is estimated that 6 million roses and 400,000 books (half Catalonia’s yearly book sales) are sold in Barcelona on St George’s Day