Feliç diada de Sant Jordi!

Today is Sant Jordi Day (Saint George in English language cultures). It’s known as Catalan’s version of Valentine’s Day, but it’s really more than that. George, a brave knight, is credited with slaying a dragon that was terrorizing a town and its princess. After plunging his sword into the dragon, red roses cascaded out, and George presented the fair princess with a rose. Over the years/centuries, the legend of St. George killing the dragon has grown, at some point melding with Sant Jordi, the Patron Saint of Catalonia, whose saints day is April 23. Rolled into the popular celebration is the tradition of giving books and roses. Typically, a man gives a woman a rose and a woman gives a man a book, but it has evolved from there and friends, family, and lovers share both. The streets of Barcelona and other towns and cities in Catalonia sport stalls selling roses, of all colors, each with a different meaning, and books.

Interestingly, one of Antoni Gaudí’s famous apartment buildings in Barcelona, Casa Battló, is an architectural homage to Sant Jordi, depicting the mythical legend on the facade. On the roof the  dragon’s back comes alive through the ceramic tiles in the form of scales and the back is pierced by the cross of four arms that evokes Saint George’s triumphant sword. On the top floor is a flower-shaped balcony alluding to the princess’s balcony. On the lower floors, the remains of the dragon’s victims are located on the balconies in the form of skulls and the pillars of the gallery that resemble the bones. And for Sant Jordi Day, it’s fully decorated with roses!

Besides roses and books being sold everywhere, I saw these cute toy dragons today in the grocery store.

Culture. It’s fascinating!

And after weeks of rainy, ho hum weather, I was treated to this beautiful sunrise.

Bon Sant Jordi!