The tradition of Sant Jordi

Catalonia is getting ready to celebrate with great enthusiasm the festivity of Sant Jordi, a day in which cities and towns are flooded with people that visit the stalls of books and roses. This festivity is in honour of the patron saint of Catalonia, celebrating a tradition that is based on culture and love, commemorating the legend of Sant Jordi.

You may be wondering, what is the origin of this date and why is it so important in Catalonia?

According to the legend, a ferocious dragon terrorised the area of Montblanc, near the Costa Dorada. To avoid the attack of the beast, every day a neighbour was randomly selected as an offering to the dragon. One day, the chosen person was the king's daughter, and when the time came for her to be swallowed by the dragon, the knight Sant Jordi appeared and saved her. In the same place where the dragon shed his blood, a beautiful rose bush of red roses was born.

For this reason, roses are given as gifts on this special day, making it an ideal festivity for lovers to give a gift to their partner. In addition to the exchange of roses, it can also be done with books, because this same day is World Book Day, making this date a perfect opportunity to give the latest novelties in literature or a special edition. In this post we want to share with you the best plans that you will find on Costa Dorada for this day:

It is common to find in Barcelona during this day exhibitions, sardanas, "castells", reading contests, photography, or concerts. This year the epicentre will be a "literary superblock" in the centre of the capital and the main axis of the celebration will be between Avenida Diagonal and Gran Via.

There are other places where the celebration goes beyond Sant Jordi's Day, such as Montblanc, where they celebrate the Medieval Week in which you can access events, theatrical and musical performances in which the streets are filled, and the legend is revived. It is said that the knight came out through the so-called "Portal de Sant Jordi" after killing the dragon, a portal that is in the old town itself.

In Reus, the day will be with several stalls of organisations, bookshops and florists. It will once again be held in the Mercadal and in the surrounding streets and squares.

In Cambrils, the celebration will start on 21 March (World Poetry Day) and will last until 26 April. During this month, different events will take place, such as book presentations, concerts, exhibitions, plays and the Sant Jordi market.

Tarragona is not far behind, dividing, as usual, the central space of the Rambla Nova into four different parts and once again holding the traditional "castellera" performance at 8 p.m. without access control, unlike last year.

This day will also be celebrated in Vila-seca, where there will be book presentations or the Ephemeral Art al Carrer, formed by a collaboration of art and design schools from Tarragona and Reus. As for the book and rose stalls, they will be available throughout the day in the Castle Garden, where there will also be popular festivities.

Valls will also be celebrating Sant Jordi, once again with the Pati as the focal point, where the book and rose stalls will be located. In addition, the adjacent streets will be lined with associations and non-profit organisations.

Have you ever experienced this Catalan tradition of St. Jordi's Day? At BusPlana we offer you comfortable and low-cost transfers from Barcelona airport and Reus airport to the main cities of Costa Dorada, so that you can enjoy this beautiful day commemorating the legend of St. Jordi. Book your transfer now and decide to whom you will give a rose or a book!