The 23rd of April...
Created | Updated Apr 21, 2003
The 23rd of April, as all we Brits know, is St. George's Day! Unfortunately, it really isn't celebrated as much in Britain as I think it should be.
Now in Barcelona, Spain it's another matter....
The 23rd of April is remembered for two reasons: Saint George's Day and the death of Miguel de Cervantes (23.04.1616), the greatest Spanish writer of all time - he was the one that wrote Don Quijote (co-incidentally William Shakespeare also died on the same day, but that's another story...).
The Catalonian people have managed to bring together these events and celebrate them by having what is known as a "Rose and book" day!
Magically, on the 23rd of April each year, the city of Barcelona is transformed overnight and by the time most people are on their way to work in the morning, the streets are filled with book stalls and flower sellers. Some of the main streets in the city like Paseo de Gracia, are lined with book stalls from one end to the other but in the other parts of the cities, each bookshop has its own stall in the street in front of the shop. Books are sold at a discount price on this day.
Likewise, the florists in the city put up stalls in front of their shops to sell their roses and some enterprising citizens just walk around with buckets full of red roses, trying to sell them. The individual roses are cellophane-wrapped and red is always the predominant colour.
This celebration came about in the Middle Ages, when the aristocracy used to hold tournaments on horseback and each lady present was given a red rose. The custom nowadays is to give one's loved one, be it wife, mother, girlfriend etc. a single red rose and in turn, men are given a book.
It's quite a sight to see men of all ages sheepishly (doesn't go with the Spanish macho" image) walking through the streets clutching a single red rose.
But it's also a very nice way of keeping St. George's Day alive!
Now in Barcelona, Spain it's another matter....
The 23rd of April is remembered for two reasons: Saint George's Day and the death of Miguel de Cervantes (23.04.1616), the greatest Spanish writer of all time - he was the one that wrote Don Quijote (co-incidentally William Shakespeare also died on the same day, but that's another story...).
The Catalonian people have managed to bring together these events and celebrate them by having what is known as a "Rose and book" day!
Magically, on the 23rd of April each year, the city of Barcelona is transformed overnight and by the time most people are on their way to work in the morning, the streets are filled with book stalls and flower sellers. Some of the main streets in the city like Paseo de Gracia, are lined with book stalls from one end to the other but in the other parts of the cities, each bookshop has its own stall in the street in front of the shop. Books are sold at a discount price on this day.
Likewise, the florists in the city put up stalls in front of their shops to sell their roses and some enterprising citizens just walk around with buckets full of red roses, trying to sell them. The individual roses are cellophane-wrapped and red is always the predominant colour.
This celebration came about in the Middle Ages, when the aristocracy used to hold tournaments on horseback and each lady present was given a red rose. The custom nowadays is to give one's loved one, be it wife, mother, girlfriend etc. a single red rose and in turn, men are given a book.
It's quite a sight to see men of all ages sheepishly (doesn't go with the Spanish macho" image) walking through the streets clutching a single red rose.
But it's also a very nice way of keeping St. George's Day alive!
