Good weather, packed streets, and hundreds of stalls: Sant Jordi across Catalonia

Up and down all of Catalonia, thousands of people are taking to the streets on Wednesday to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy Sant Jordi, browsing the hundreds of stalls selling books and roses that have set up in towns and cities.

People of all ages are out shopping in the 200 stalls set up in Lleida, 170 in Manresa, 140 in Girona, and hundreds more that are out on the streets in other parts of the territory. 

Thousands of people have packed into Avinguda de Francesc Macià and Rambla de Ferran in the western city of Lleida since early in the morning, where more than 200 stalls have been authorised by the local authorities this year, 10% more than last year. 

After some initial uncertainty about the weather in the morning, with some clouds covering the skies, they have since cleared up and the sun is shining, providing the perfect backdrop to a day out and about, unleashing the optimism of booksellers and florists, confident that the good weather will encourage people out.

In central Catalonia, books and roses are also the stars of the show today. Booksellers and florists both forecast positive sales figures due to the fact that Sant Jordi is a workday this year and for the fact that the weather is good. 

"It's a magnificent day,” Isabel Casas, manager of the Llegim bookstore in Igualada, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN). “At 8 in the morning, we were still setting up the stall and people were already coming to look for books," she added.

In Manresa, nearly 170 stalls have been set up - a similar number to last year -, while in Vic there are a hundred, with another 50 in Igualada. 

Local authors hope to vie for a spot among the most popular of the day, signing copies of their books throughout the day in the cities. 

In Girona, more than 140 stalls fill the old town for the second consecutive year. Since early in the morning, hundreds of people have been wandering around Plaça Catalunya, La Rambla, Carrer Santa Clara, and Carrer Nou to browse the book stalls and choose the perfect rose to gift, as is tradition. 

The day started off with the traditional writers’ meeting organised by the government delegation at Casa Solterra. This year, the day is dedicated to the writer, teacher, and historian, Joan Domènech i Moner. 

Booksellers in the north of Catalonia have told ACN that sales already skyrocketed yesterday, auguring a good Sant Jordi.

The day is "the most festive working day in the world" according to journalist Jordi Grau, in charge of the dedication events for Joan Domènech i Moner, kicking off the day in Girona. 

The streets and squares of the Baix Llobregat county have once again been filled with books and roses.  In the county capital, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, the Plaça de la Vila and Carrer Pi i Maragall are once again filled to capacity since early in the morning. 

Many locals, such as Josep Lluís, have bought roses and books at local stalls “to make a difference” before later going for a walk around Barcelona “to see the atmosphere.” 

Plaça Catalunya in Esplugues de Llobregat saw mostly school groups visiting early in the morning. 

Book Town

Catalonia’s biggest book town is Calonge, in the northern coastal Baix Empordà county. The town has seen cultural activities fill its streets all day on Wednesday. 

Over the past few weeks, various presentations and book signings have been organized as part of a large Sant Jordi book festival, culminating in this day. 

Concerts, an open mic, and a mural are some of the activities happening on Wednesday, while bookstores are packed with people. 

Many establishments say they have already sold many books over Easter, especially from people who came from the metropolitan area of ​​Barcelona over the weekend, while Sant Jordi is more for locals. 

For Sant Jordi, it is common to see book and rose stalls in the center of towns and cities while people stroll through some of the most central streets. In Calonge, however, for a few years now the day has not had book stalls because people have become accustomed to walking through the six bookstores that the officially designated Book Town has.

Therefore, the stalls on the street are those of florists who take advantage of the footfall between book stores, adding up to the tradition of the day.