Dia de San Jorge Celebrations in Spain: The Romance and Legend of Saint George Day

Feb 105 min read

Updated: Feb 11

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As certain as death and taxes, so stands the tradition of fiestas and Spanish holidays. Seemingly endless in filling my calendar, a visit to my holiday home in Zaragoza, Spain always coincides with a holiday.

There’s always a Saint somebody being celebrated with a large meal and a parade. Businesses, schools, restaurants and government offices close and the streets become filled with pedestrians holding baked goods from their favorite pasticceria.

Melchior on a float for three kings day parade — Three Kings Day Parade in Zaragoza

Riding often on the coattails of Semana Santa, Spain’s wildly-different-than-the-US celebration of Easter, comes such a holiday on Dia de San Jorge on April 23rd.

Also commonly referred to as Dia de San Jordi, or Saint George’s Day, the Catalonian communities in Barcelona reaching as far as Zaragoza in Aragon all come together to celebrate Saint George, their patron Saint, who is said to have died on this day.

A martyr, a hero, and a saint of knights, his story is told in many forms.

Known as a brave knight for slaying a dragon and winning the hand of a Princess, the legend of Saint George is celebrated across the globe from as far as England, Ethiopia and Istanbul to across the countries and regions of Europe, like in Portugal, Greece, Catalonia and Genoa.

Today, across dinner tables in Spain, exchanges of books and flowers for loved ones occur every April 23rd, celebrating San Jorge. So why is this holiday so little known to Americans? Why is it often known as a romantic holiday like Valentine's Day? And what's with the books?

If you find yourself in Spain (or in any of the other countries that celebrate) this late Spring travel season, you may just want to see what the locals are doing to celebrate.

Below, let me share with you the absorbing facts (and legends) that I have learned about Saint George and the feast day when we (ill-informed) Americans celebrate him in Spain.

The History of Saint George

For centuries, Saint George has been celebrated every year on the anniversary of his death, having become the Patron saint for millions of the Christian faith in 494 AD.

Often depicted as a knight on a horse with a lance, historians believe he wasn’t even a knight at all, but that he was a soldier in the Roman army, a venture that led him to many lands to do many good deeds.

At the tender age of 28, the virtuous Saint George was beheaded for refusing to give up his faith in Israel on April 23. Nearly 200 years after his death, Pope Gelasius canonized George as a Saint, stating that George was among those

“whose names are justly revered among men, but whose actions are known only to God”.

Even after his death, Saint George is cited as being one of the “Fourteen Holy Helpers”, protecting soldiers on battlefields and staving off diseases in infectious times like the Plague.

Saint George was the soldiers’ saint after all, recognized all over the world. In fact, even the English flag bears his “Saint George Cross”, a flag of white with a red cross, an everlasting symbol of his prominence in early Christian culture.

Pope Gelasius established the day of his death, April 23rd, as an official Christian feast day, recognizing Saint George’s martyrdom.

How We Celebrate Dia de San Jorge as Americans in Spain

In Spain, streets throughout Catalonia and Aragon are lined with book fairs, like in Zaragoza along the main artery of the Casco Historico, or historic center, at Paseo de la Independencia.

Additionally, in Aragon, Dia de San Jorge is also known as Dia de Aragon, and the city dwellers see it not only as a feast day for their saint, but also as a city holiday celebrating battles won in the time of the Kingdom of Aragon. In other words, it's a day off work.

The locals will be out in all the pedestrian lanes sharing tapas, enjoying dinners with friends and family, and having a nice day off from responsibilities.

To learn more about this fascinating story (and to try and be less of a noob), I purchased the brilliantly illustrated book Saint George and the Dragon for my daughter and a cute little crown of roses for her to wear on the day of celebration.

As an American invading on a tradition and holiday we knew nothing about, other than that it was on the Spanish calendar, we did what we do best - we threw a dinner party!

It could have been a nice touch if I bought a set like this set of 10 flower crowns in advance for each dinner party guest, but we found a nice head piece at one of the local Chinese stores in town instead.

home prepared dinner table with meats and salad

Is this a completely wrong bastardization of a religious holiday or a loving embrace of an ages old knight-saves-princess tale? Honestly, I don't know.

But one thing I feel like we got right? A feast for a feast day.

Saint George's Day Around the World

Today this feast day has manifested into a day to celebrate love. Traditions in Spain, for instance, might include a crowded stroll down Las Ramblas in Barcelona, where book fairs are held and women are given “a rose for love” and men are given “a book forever.”

Like that of Saint Valentine now being synonymous with cupid’s arrows and greeting cards, it is difficult to draw a direct line between books and roses and Saint George.

However, the tale of the dragon is sometimes interpreted as having red roses grow from the blood of the dragon, and also that roses were part of the saved Princess’ crown of flowers.

While the tale of the dragon is simply a fable, it is the symbolization of good versus evil that makes Saint George so revered. During his life, he converted many to Christianity through his virtuous deeds, like gifting riches bestowed upon him to the poor.

However history dictates his true story, somehow over time the celebrations and “feast days” became more intertwined with the emotions of love, and giving.

In England you might find parades, fireworks, festivals and even jousting in Trafalgar Square, in Genoa, Italy, they celebrate “San Giorgio” with a flag festival bearing the Saint George Cross, and in Greece “Agios Georgios” is celebrated across small villages with horse races, folk dances and sheep herding.