Diada de Sant Jordi

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Photo by Paula Jaume courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

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Booksellers line the streets of Barcelona on Sant Jordi's Day. Photo by Vicente Zambrano González courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

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Map of booksellers for Sant Jordi's Day 2026.

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For Sant Jordi you don't need to go to a bookshop to see books. The feast day of Catalunya’s patron saint, Sant Jordi, fills the city's streets with roses and books. There are thousands all around you, on every corner, every street and in every square. Florists, meanwhile, sketch Barcelona in all the colors of spring, while lovers give each other roses in a gesture of love writ large. Confectioners make chocolate knights and dragons, and bakers bake delicious bread with cheese and sobrassada sausage in the colors of the senyera, the Catalan flag. Everyone makes their gesture so you can make yours.

This Catalan tradition dates from the start of the 20th century, when booksellers decided to commemorate April 23rd because William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Garcilaso de la Vega all died on that date. UNESCO declared this a global tradition in 1996, and since then it has been International Book and Copyright Day.

How to Celebrate

There's lots to do and see on Sant Jordi's day in Barcelona! You can’t miss a stroll among the book sellers and rose vendors that fill the streets of the literary superblock which stretches from Avinguda Diagonal to Ronda de Sant Pere and Balmes to Pau Claris as well as up along Gran de Gràcia and down Portal de l'Àngel to Plaça Nova in front of the Cathedral. There you can meet a number of Catalan and Spanish authors and even get your books signed.

When you’ve had your fill of books and roses you can catch a film at the BCN Film Fest, check out the Sant Jordi Musica at Antiga Fàbrica Damm, browse unique creations at the Artists’ Book & Small Publishers Fair at Plaça Sant Just, travel back in to at the Sant Jordi Medieval Market or enjoy free entry to a number of museums as well as historical buildings that are normally closed to the public. Check out our article What to Do for Sant Jordi’s Day for all the places that throw their doors open to the public for free on this special day.

But Who Was Sant Jordi and Where Do the Roses Come In?

Sant Jordi (Saint George in English) is the patron saint of countries and cities as diverse as England, Ethiopia, Istanbul and Venice among others. It is believed that Jordi was a Roman Christian soldier from a noble family who was tortured and beheaded in Eastern Anatolia on April 23, 303 CE, after speaking out against Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of Christians. Perhaps because of his high-ranking status, Sant Jordi became universally popular in the Middle Ages from among thousands of martyrs; more than once during the Crusades, the Christians credited their victories to his miraculous intercession. But it was the legend of Sant Jordi slaying a fierce dragon that terrorized a small village and saved a damsel in distress that really captured the imagination of the people.

Roses reflect the outcome of the legend of Sant Jordi and come in every color, symbolizing various moods and feelings towards people. Red is the symbol for love and admiration, and more red roses are sold than any other color on this day. Discover the legend, how the roses came to be an important symbol of this day and Sant Jordi's backstory in our article Saints and Lovers: The Story of Catalunya's Sant Jordi's Day.

For more events check our online events calendar.