April 23rd is Sant Jordi Day in Catalunya. It’s been called the Catalan Valentine’s Day, but it really isn’t. I told the story in a blog last year, “Feliç Diada de Sant Jordi.”(https://wordpress.com/post/susiessenioryearabroad.blog/2022). It’s different from Valentine’s Day in a few ways, but in one striking way. It’s not commercialized, or at least to the extent that the U.S. commercializes holidays. I went to Barcelona coincidentally the Sunday before Sant Jordi Day to spend the day with a friend. I knew Sant Jordi was coming up the following Tuesday, so I expected to see book stands and flower stands throughout the city. But no, they only celebrate it ON THE DAY. Shoot, in the States they start advertising for Valentine’s Day as soon as they take the Christmas decorations down! Cards, flowers, candy, lingerie, are advertised on TV, billboards, online, everywhere for weeks or months in advance. (Don’t get me started on Christmas!). This may be changing somewhat, at least in Barcelona, where booksellers are going to be required to pay a relatively high tax for their stalls making it more difficult or impossible for the small book dealers.
Some of the flower stalls set up on the street currently are operated by non-profit groups. Whoa. Are the businesses missing out on cashing in!! Of the total amount of roses sold, about 40% are sold by professional florists, and the remaining 60% are sold by associations and charities for fundraising purposes. The day does generate considerable economic activity for authors, publishers, and booksellers, but the emphasis is on the books – physical books. Sant Jordi is a celebration, but above all it is a booksellers’ festival. In Catalonia almost ten percent of a year’s revenue from book sales comes in that day. And the act of giving books isn’t just for couples: parents give books to their children, friends give books to each other. No longer gender-based, friends, couples, and family now give one another books. As one journalist put it, it’s Valentine’s Day for nerds.
April 23 has also been designated International World Book Day. The date coincides with the death of Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare both in 1616. During Franco’s regime, Sant Jordi celebrations were prohibited in Catalunya. I think that is one reason why the tradition is so beloved by Catalans now.
The weather here has been very mild all winter, so when we had a couple of warmer days about a month ago, I packed up my coats and most of my sweaters. April Fools! Winter returned. Someone recently told me – never put your winter clothes away until after Sant Jordi Day. They were right! It’s warming up now, a little.
Coincidence??? After I wrote two weeks ago about the suspicious Russian man living nearby, I haven’t seen his Russian car. There was a car with French plates for a couple of days during which time I saw two guys on the balcony (neither was “the guy”) and they were speaking to one another in British English (native), which I heard when I was walking my dogs. Where does the Russian go? and his car? What are the other cars about? Then yesterday, the car with Hungarian plates was back. This is far from over, but I’ll refrain from overdoing the surveillance and reporting …I did use binoculars the other day to look from my kitchen window… Obsession? I hope I can crack the case one day!
Susie's Senior Year Abroad 