Hi everyone

If you have had the patience to follow this blog for a whole year, you already know that today is April 23rd, Saint George day, San Jordi in Catalan.

Saint George is the patron saint of my country Catalonia, today a country without state that belongs to Spain. It’s

The legend says that many many years ago, the small village of Montblanc was under siege of a fierce dragon. The dragon menaced the village with tearing it down if the villagers would not reward him with a daily meal, a young lady.

The villagers met with the king and decided to go for a raffle. They put the names of all the young ladies in a big can and the luck made the king to pick up the name of her daughter: the princess.

He tried to convince villagers to go for another pick. He offered all his treasures but villagers did not agree. The princess was brave and offered herself to go face the dragon that was waiting for its meal outside the walls of the village.

When the princess left the walls, George of Cappadocia showed up. He was a young errant knight always looking for fighting injustice and helping those who were not able to defend themselves. George had heard about the dragon and came to fight it.

George went to face the dragon and killed it by striking his spear in the dragon’s heart.

The princess tears of joy when she braced George fell over the dragon’s heart and turned it out in a beautiful rose. George gave the rose to the princess and left her even though the king offered him the hand of her daughter.

Since then, every April 23rd Catalonians give a rose to their women.

Nowadays, the tradition is that men give a rose to their lover and women give a book back to men.

So if you like this tradition, just go to your next flower shop a buy a red rose to your couple - either man or a woman - your children and your mother and rush to give it to them.

Enjoy the day

Francesc