Books and roses for Sant Jordi

Books and roses for Sant Jordi. | P. PRIETO

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma19/04/2023 13:27
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The Catalan legend of Sant Jordi (Saint George) centres on the village of Montblanc. This was where he slew the dragon and where a rose bush grew from the dragon’s blood. Roses were to become gifts from young men to their loved ones on the day of Sant Jordi, and back in the 1920s book publishers in Spain hit on the idea of April 23 also becoming the day of the book. There was the happy coincidence of Cervantes having been buried on April 23, 1616 and of Shakespeare having died on April 23, 1616 to justify the day, a commercial aspect of which was that the young women could give the young men a book in exchange for the rose.

Spain’s day of the book grew to be International Book Day, while the traditions of books and roses remain very much alive in the various places in Mallorca where the day is celebrated. Palma has the biggest book fair and it also has roses (other flowers as well).

This year, due to the works in Plaça d'Espanya, some of the spaces have had to be relocated and will have their stand at La Rambla. The rest of the bookshops will keep the same place as last year, so that the route starts on La Rambla and goes all the way to the Born, passing through Via Roma, Blanquerna, Sant Miquel, Plaça Major, Carrer del Marqués del Palmer and Plaça de Cort. Along this route, 29 of the Guild's bookshops can be found.