The day of reading and romance
Sant Jordi’s Day on April 23 will see 10% of the year’s book sales, while florists hope to sell 7 million roses
Sant Jordi’s Day is Catalonia’s unique celebration of reading and romance held every April 23 and also the feast day of the country’s patron, Saint George. Despite being one of Catalonia’s best-loved annual festivals, it is not a public holiday, which won’t stop tens of thousands of people in towns and cities all over the country from taking to the streets in search of roses and books to give as gifts to their loved ones.
The day of books and roses enshrines the peculiar tradition of exchanging gifts that has its origins in the 15th century, although the celebration in its present form goes back to the International Exposition held in Barcelona in 1929. In that year, as part of a campaign to boost book sales, booksellers put out their stalls in the streets for the first time, initially in October, before the celebration was moved to April in 1931.
Additionally, since 1995, Sant Jordi’s Day has coincided with UNESCO’s World Book and Copyright Day, chosen because April 23 is the anniversary of the great writers Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare. It is the most important day of the year for writers, publishers and booksellers in Catalonia. Last year, the total turnover from book sales on Sant Jordi’s Day was 25.4 million euros, 1.4 million more than the year before and over 10% of all book sales for the year.
Obviously it is also the most important day of the year for flower sellers, and last year in Barcelona alone there were some 4,100 outlets selling roses on the day with another 2,200 in other Catalan towns. This year, the florists’ guild has set the goal of surpassing the seven million roses sold last year, and they also hope to reach a turnover for the day of some 20 million euros.
Yet the florists’ guild is concerned about the growing number of unlicensed flower stalls, and to protect its members has come up with a quality seal so customers can identify roses from guild members. The rosa d’autor (signature rose) project was undertaken with the Elisava School of Design and Engineering, with the symbol for the project produced by design student Paula Jericó.
Once again, the bookstalls in Barcelona will be in the “superilla literària”, or “literary superblock”, in the city’s Eixample district, an area of over 155,000 square metres that covers Passeig de Gràcia, Gran Via tos Avinguda Diagonal, as well as Rambla de Catalunya, and a number of side streets. Meanwhile a perimeter areas connecting Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla de Catalunya with La Rambla will be reserved for flower stalls selling roses.
There are also side activities to celebrate Sant Jordi’s Day, such as eight hours of music at Sant Jordi Musical at the Antiga Fàbrica Estrella Damm, from 12 to 9pm. A day earlier, the Night of Roses will take place at La Paloma, where music group Mishima will present an evening of music, literature, roses. Also on April 22 there will be a special book market at Barcelona’s Sant Antoni Market, and on Wednesday there will be a new edition of Sant Jordi al Raval in the city’s central neighbourhood, with the participation of over 60 local organisations offering workshops, storytelling, book presentations, readings and musical performances.
fEATURE Sant Jordi’s Day
What is literature for?
Literature, often considered a useless activity in practical terms, has a transformative value that transcends its apparent lack of utility. In an era marked by the acceleration of political, social and technological change, literature faces the risk of being marginalised. However, its outstanding role lies not in its direct functionality, but in its capacity to create awareness and transform human sensibilities in the long term.
From an epistemological point of view, literature is a mirror that reflects our own experiences, concerns and contradictions. Writers, both famous and anonymous, construct literary universes that challenge us to reconsider our paradigms and explore the complexity of the human condition. Through characters that make us dream, stories that allow us to recognise ourselves in others, and words that connect us with diverse perspectives, literature opens a window to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Thus, literary texts become a form of self-knowledge. In the words of academic Paul Ricoeur, literature contributes to “the construction of narrative identity”, a process in which subjects shape their own identity through narrative. This capacity of literature to explore and articulate human experiences is especially relevant in a contemporary context that often prioritises immediacy over reflection.
Beyond its introspective function, literature is also an act of cultural and social resistance. In a world often oriented towards the banality of consumption, violence or spectacle, books invite us to awaken. With their capacity to delve into the complexity of the human condition, any poem or novel can become a voice that exhorts us to become aware of reality and to avoid the temptation of absence, understood as a disconnection from ourselves and others.
Literature is also a space for dreaming. Rather than escapism, literary dreaming is an imaginative practice that opens doors to new dimensions of reality. Literary imagination allows us to overcome the limits of what is immediate and visible, inviting us to explore alternative possibilities of existence.
Literature prepares us to understand and connect with otherness. The empathy generated by reading stories from other cultures, times, and perspectives allows us to transcend our own experience and establish bonds with the world. Thus, the literary dream becomes an act of commitment to humanity. It is a way of exploring what could be, while enriching our understanding of what already is.
Integrating literature into life is, therefore, an act of resistance and enrichment. It invites us to go beyond mere sociological or anthropological observation to connect with reality in all its diversity. It reminds us that living fully does not mean just surviving or producing, but also dreaming, understanding and creating bonds with others. Thus, literature – apparently fragile in the face of the world – demonstrates that its true strength lies in its capacity to illuminate reality and enrich human experience.
In a world that often pushes us towards superficiality, literature offers us the opportunity to resist, dream and connect. While it does not immediately transform the world, it transforms people. And this inner transformation is the starting point for deeper and more lasting change. As Italo Calvino wrote, “a classic is a book that never finishes saying what it has to say”, a testament to the inexhaustible power of literature to enrich the human experience and help us live.
