Thursday, April 17, 2003

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Newsletter 7 A Day of Books …and Roses

For those Brits who thought St George was English…well, you have another thought coming. Jordi Ros, Secretary of the Catalan Cultural Association Inc advises that as every good Catalan knows, Sant Jordi must have been Catalan ( !) as he is the patron saint of their Region.

Catalonia straddles the Pyrenees mountains, partly in northern Spain and partly in southern France. It has its own language, literature and rich culture. Its capital is Barcelona – home of world-famous tenor Josep Carreras, painter and artist Salvador Dali, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) monument and church, and the beautiful flower-filled avenue Les Rambles, the city’s most popular promenade.

The Catalans celebrate St George’s Day also on 23rd April with much poetry and romance. On that day, according to a tradition going back hundreds of years, you give your sweetheart and loved ones a rose and a book as symbols of culture and beauty, intelligence and love representing what is permanent and what is ephemeral.

According to the legend, St George killed a dragon which was terrorizing the city of Silene in Libya and freed the beautiful Princess Sabra who was to be its latest victim. Where the dragon’s blood fell, red roses grew. The brave knight had fallen in love with the beautiful princess and so the red rose became a symbol of love. La Generalitat (the Catalan Government) actually declared 23rd April, St George’s Day - lovers’ day during a Parliamentary sitting in 1436.

The celebration of the book came later. According to Jordi’s research, England had, at some time proclaimed 23rd April, a ‘Book Day’ in honour of William Shakespeare who died on that day. Spain picked up the custom in 1926 as a tribute to all book writers but primarily to their Miguel de Cervantes (author of Don Quixote). As it coincided with the already established Sant Jordi’s Day and Red Rose Day, Catalonia included this new ‘tribute to the book’ in its celebrations.

Catalans are proud that in 1996 UNESCO, the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation took up the Catalan tradition of book-giving and has promoted it world-wide. On World Book Day all writers of the world can feel as if they were Catalan. We Catalans are proud that our festival has spread beyond our borders because Saint George is the expression of the way of life of our people, a day of friendship, of harmony and of culture and in particular it is an expression of our respect for all persons, peoples and cultures.

The day is advertised by the Government of Catalonia with exquisite posters and complimentary book-marks featuring roses and books. It encourages expatriates world-wide to celebrate and promote this inspiring concept of St George’s Day in their adopted countries. In Barcelona, Les Rambles and other public spaces are awash with flower- and book-stalls on the day. In Brisbane, Jordi tells us that members of the Catalan community take their picnic baskets to Mt Coot-tha, enjoy their folk music and dance their famous Sardana.

Mr Jordi Ros, Secretary, Catalan Cultural Association Inc., 12 Berendt Court, Meadowbrook 4131. Tel: 3299 6073 Email: jorgeros@gil.com.au

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