Sant Jordi - San Jorge - Saint George

[irmamar]

Today, April 23, is the World Book Day. The date was chosen by the UNESCO because it’s said that both Shakespeare and Cervantes died that day of 1616, although the fact is that none of them died that day (though Garcilaso de la Vega did). Cervantes died on april 22 and Shakespeare did on May 3 (in England the Julian calendar was used then, not the Gregorian one).


But I’d like to tell you about a lovely holiday which is celebrated here, in Catalonia, where I live. Men buy a rose (usually it’s a red rose) for their couple and women buy a book for them, it is said that today is the “lover’s day” in Catalonia. Everybody is waiting for his/her present today. The bookshops sell their books (with a little discount) in the street and people walk with their roses and their books. Lovely, indeed!

[Ambarina]

¡Feliz Sant Jordi!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Today, April 23, is the World Book Day. The date was chosen by the UNESCO because it’s said that both Shakespeare and Cervantes died that day in 1616, although the fact is that neither of them died that day (though Garcilaso de la Vega did). Cervantes died on April 22 and Shakespeare died on May 3 (in England the Julian calendar was used then, not the Gregorian one).


But I’d like to tell you about a lovely holiday which is celebrated here, in Catalonia, where I live. Men buy a rose (usually it’s a red rose) for their sweethearts and women buy a book for theirs. It is said that today is the “lover’s day” in Catalonia. Everybody is waiting for his/her present today. The bookshops sell their books (with a little discount) in the street and people walk with their roses and their books. Lovely, indeed!

Sounds very lovely.

[María José]

I'm moving to Barcelona... I wish we had something like that in Madrid.

If you want some book suggestions on St George's day I can recommend some great novels I've read recently:
The Beggar Maid- Alice Munro
The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood
Beloved- Tony Morrison

[Jessica]

I thought Shakespeare died in April on his birthday?

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by jchen

I thought Shakespeare died in April on his birthday?

It is said, but there is a lot of mistery around Shakespeare...

Thanks, Maria Jose, good suggestions, but... in English?

[María José]

You could always read them in translation, but it's not the same...

[irmamar]

Of course! But it all depends on the language the author uses. Now I'm reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Ann Brontë and I assure you that the language is quite difficult.

[María José]

Lovely book. I read it not long ago when I did a course on the Brontës.

[irmamar]

Well, I've just started... I like Brontës and XIX century English Literature, in general, although the world has changed a lot since then...