El día de San Jorge...

... or Sant Jordi in Catalan.
Second trip to Mahon this week, to present documents and photos for the TIE card, which should be available to collect (by appointment) in two months, though I won't hold my breath on that one. The reader struggled to record my fingerprints, although I'm sure I do have them. It being St. George's Day, the main streets were full of stalls selling red roses, and also books (see extra). I wanted a close-up of the huge, luscious deep-red velvety roses, but the stalls were too thronged to safely get near enough (new virus spike due in 2 weeks I think), so the photo above is a wild rose from the garden. Who knew that the enigmatic George was the patron saint not just of England but here too?



Every April 23rd on the day of Sant Jordi, or St George, people in the northeastern region give each other a rose or a book in a celebration of their patron saint, love and culture.
Originally the tradition involved men giving their love a rose, while she in return would give him a book. But it has evolved, and today women also receive books, and flowers are given as well to mothers, daughters, friends and even co-workers.
The region marks the day by setting up book and flower stands in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, as well as towns across Catalonia. Roses are typically sold wrapped in yellow and red paper, like the Senyera (Catalan flag) and paired with a sheaf of wheat. Sometimes hearts or small dragon figurines are also attached.

April 23rd also coincides with UNESCO’s World Book Day, as it celebrates the anniversary of the deaths of William Shakespeare and famed Spanish author of Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes. 
On average retailers sell around six million roses, and over 1.5 million books on the day just in Catalonia, which is home to 7.5 million people.
Catalan booksellers make between 5-8 percent of their annual sales on the day of Sant Jordi and one in every three books bought in Catalonia is sold on this day, according to the Catalan booksellers association. The majority of the books sold are in the Catalan language. 
Since 1931 a book fair has been held in Barcelona on April 23rd – St George’s Day. 
Since then, the tradition of offering books and roses in Catalonia has thrived, even during the 1939-74 dictatorship of General Francisco Franco when the open sale of books in the Catalan language was banned.