The legend of St. Jordi

St. Jordi 2014 by the Barcelona city hall

Once upon a time, a terrible dragon was terrifying the locals in a village in Catalonia called Montblanc. The dragon caused havoc among the population and ate up the village's pasture animals. To assuage the dragon's anger, the villagers decided they would sacrifice someone every day, chosen by lot and offered to the dragon as a gesture of good will.

But one dark day, the person who was going to be sacrificed was the king's daughter. Before the dragon could swallow her, a splendid knight appeared and attacked the cursed beast. This was Sant Jordi (St George). He thrust his lance into the dragon and from the beast's blood a rose bush with bright red roses arose. Ever since then, it has been a custom in Catalonia to present one's beloved with a rose.

Sant Jordi (St George), the patron saint of Catalonia since the 19th century, became a symbol for Catalan territory with the Catalan Renaissance, a political and cultural movement that reclaimed Catalan symbols of identity.

More information about St. Jordi's celebrations at:  http://www.bcn.cat/santjordi/en/index.html