23 April is approaching, the Day of Sant Jordi, and with it the cherished Catalan tradition of giving a rose and a book.
And do you know why these are given? Let me tell you a story:
Hundreds of years ago, the inhabitants of the Catalan village of Montblanc lived in terror of an enormous and ferocious dragon. To placate its rage, they carried out human sacrifices and when it was the turn of a princess, the brave knight Sant Jordi, also known as Saint George, put an end to the dragon. According to the legend, a rose bush replete with red roses started to grow from the blood of the dragon. The knight plucked the most beautiful of all and presented it as a gift to the princess.
The reason for giving a book on Sant Jordi’s Day on the other hand is more rooted in history: to mark the fact that 23 April is the anniversary of the deaths of two great literary figures: William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes.
So the rose and the book coincide on the same date to pay homage to history and legend, fantasy and reality: a highly topical and influential duality in the development of humanity.
10 recommended books to give on Sant Jordi’s Day.
The range is enormous and varied but, forced to choose, this year we recommend the following books without hesitation:
- Lanny, by Max Porter: Porter brings all his signature wonder and wackiness to Lanny, his new novel, about a precocious young English boy who goes missing under the strangest of circumstances
- Una historia by Marianna Coppo: a highly entertaining story aimed at getting the younger readers in the house to use their imaginations. Faced with a blank page they can either sit down and wait for the story to start or swing into action and draw one for themselves.
- Spring, by Ali Smith: Moody, bleak, and beautiful, Smith’s third installment in her celebrated novel cycle, the Seasonal Quartet, responds to the divided Britain she observes around her. Immigration, Big Tech, climate change—all big topics—swirl around in Smith’s work, yet they are always filtered through the nuanced and forthright musings of her characters
- Un lugar en el mundo by Katherine Marsh. An exciting story of friendship and tolerance set in a military conflict that is unfortunately real and ongoing: the war in Syria.
- When sadness is at your door, by Eva Eland: Kids often struggle to understand and cope with their emotions, especially the hard ones like anger and sadness. Talking about our feelings helps us process them, and this book gives parents a tender and comforting way to work through sadness with their kids
- The new me, by Halle Butler: This novel is engaging, brief, angry, hilarious, and curmudgeonly all in equal measure. It explores the malaise of a 30-year-old woman working an unfulfilling job as a temp and expertly satirizes both office culture and contemporary
- The happy book, by Andy Rash: a new story designed to build your child’s social-emotional development while having fun at the same time
- Lubna and Pebble, by Wendy Meddour: When young Lubna meets another scared child in a refugee camp, she must decide if she can give up her best friend, Pebble, to help him. With great care and tenderness, Wendy Meddour shows children the power of friendship in frightening times.
- Cinemaps by A.D. Jameson and Andrew DeGraff, an ideal gift for those who have a twofold passion for film and travel.
- Dragons are real!, by Holy Hatam: The littlest of littles will love this sweet board book that teaches them all about the magical world of dragons. From their favorite meal (barbeque, obviously), to their fire sneezes, this books of fantastic facts will have everyone wishing they could have a dragon of their very own
Reading is a pleasure that we sometimes don’t engage in as much as we’d like for lack of time. Holidays provide an ideal time for rediscovering the habit of reading, and better still if it’s done in a setting of peace and tranquillity like Hotels VIVA.
Happy Sant Jordi’s Day!
