SPAIN- Catalonia: April 23rd is called “El día del libro y la rosa” (The Day of Books and Roses), or Sant Jordi/ Saint George, and is a very special tradition in Catalonia, among other places. On the day of Saint George, friends exchange books and roses. In Catalonia, this accounts for sales of close to 2 million books and 7 million roses. Wow! HERE are a few more details. It is my newest favorite holiday!

The “book” part of The Day of Books and Roses has its origins in the fact that three widely acclaimed authors — namely, Miguel de Cervantes (Don Quijote), Shakespeare, and Garcilaso de la Vega — all died on the same date: April 23, 1616. Because they were all writers, friends and loved ones exchange books on April 23rd each year, also known as World Book Day.

The “rose” part stems from a legend about Saint George. “There once was a very big, green, fire-breathing dragon. Everyone was scared of it. One day, a very brave knight came and killed the dragon. From the blood of the dragon a rose grew. The knight gave the rose to the princess. From that day on, nobody was scared.” —Sant Jordi I El Drac; here is a version in English. While the story is a legend, Saint George himself is the patron saint of Catalonia and was also martyred on April 23rd.

In class, second graders tried to make beautiful roses out of cucumbers, radishes, and even pepperoni (see videos below). While this was fun, eating the foods was even more fun. Students also colored beautiful pictures of roses and a few even made miniature books to give to their friends. Next year, we will try to make tissue-paper flowers and have a writing/ book contest. Maybe we will even set up little book stands to sell books around school!

• Dragon Legend
• Roses
• Books
• Happiness

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