• Pa de Sant Jordi (Bread of Saint George), representing the colors of the Catalonia region's flag, is prepared for the festival organized every year on April 23.
Saint George, one of the most beloved and popular saints in the Christian calendar, is celebrated every year on April 23 throughout the Christian world. This celebration has a special importance in traditional Romanian culture, having dedicated a number of three days in the popular calendar: April 22 – eve, April 23 – St. George and April 24 – St. George's horse, days where a whole suite of customs.
The celebration of Saint George is not limited to our lands only. Saint George is considered the patron saint of many territories including Great Britain, Bulgaria, Germany, Brazil, Holland, Portugal or Spain.
Born in Cappadocia around 270 AD, Saint George enlisted in the army at the age of 20, and was soon noted for his skills. Despite the decree against Christians issued by Diocletian in 303, he chooses to publicly profess his Christian faith. He did not deny his convictions even when imprisoned and tortured, being finally beheaded at the age of 33, on April 23, together with Diocletian's wife, on his orders.
Iconography and legend
In Christian icons, Saint George is depicted on horseback, slaying a dragon with a spear. In some paintings, next to Saint George there is also a woman who watches the entire battle from a distance. It is about Alexandra, the wife of Emperor Diocletian. The dragon represents, in those icons, the symbol of Satan or the Roman Empire.
A written version of the legend dates back to the 12th century and appears in "Golden Legend" by Jacques de Voragine, writing in which it is told how a huge dragon appeared near the fortress of Silena in Libya. The inhabitants had to offer him sheep daily to satisfy his hunger; when they had no more sheep, the dragon asked for the king's daughter. Then, a brave Christian volunteered to slay the dragon. The legend of Saint George and the dragon quickly became popular throughout Europe, reaching the Iberian Peninsula as well.
The version of the legend in the region of Catalonia explains that a fierce dragon lived in Montblanc terrorizing the population. To appease him, all the animals were offered to him one by one. Then one person chosen by lot was sacrificed to the monster. One day, even the king's daughter was chosen. She is saved by a handsome knight in armor who confronts and kills the dragon. The legend adds that a rose bush with red flowers sprung from the spilled blood.
Dia de Sant Jordi – holiday fusion
The origin of this festival in Catalonia, Sant Jordi's day, or Saint George's Day, is a mixture of customs and traditions from different eras. This day coincides with the holiday to the Patron Saint of Catalonia, valentine's day and Book Day (established in Spain in 1926). The unusual fusion of the three holidays has resulted in a truly special day where the streets of Catalan cities are filled with stalls of books, roses, baked goods, sweets and lots of people.
On this special day, red roses are offered that recall the legend of St. George and the dragon's blood, cards - regular or card-shaped cakes - and special bread is eaten, with a core in the colors of the region's flag.
If the custom of giving a loved one roses as a gift dates back to medieval times, the gift of books is more recent. The tradition was established in 1926, at the initiative of the writer, journalist and publisher Vincent Clavel, from Barcelona. Since 1930, on April 23, the International Book and Copyright Day is also officially celebrated at the initiative of UNESCO.
Holiday bread
origins Sant Jordi bread dates back to 1988, when the baker Eduard Crespo, from the bakery Fleca Balmes from Barcelona, accepted the challenge of the bakers' guild to make a loaf of bread for this celebration. It took him two years to perfect the recipe, but he finally succeeded: layers of dough with grated cheese (for the yellow color) alternated with layers of dough with the specialty Iberian sausage sobrassada (for the red color), finally wrapped in a layer of dough with ground nuts.
Since then, Pa de Sant Jordi has been baked every year, with slightly reinterpreted recipes and different shapes from the peasant bread-like original. Over time, the variants of the original bread have evolved, and today we find it in various models: rectangular, square, round, larger or smaller loaves. But they all have one characteristic in common: once cut, the core retains the pattern of the Catalan flag.
And around the feast of Saint George there is also a competition, in which the most skilled bakers and pastry chefs from all over Catalonia present their own versions of Pa de Sant Jordi. This year, the Contest The best breads of Sant Jordi ("The best Sant Jordi breads") reached its 7th edition and was organized by Ernest Verdaguer Social Work with the support of Gremi de Flequers de Barcelona (Barcelona Bakers' Guild). The jury also included the representative of the Fleca Balmes bakery, the place that gave birth to the legendary bread.
Photo sources: titairene.wordpress.com; trossetsdecuina.blogspot.com; mediafax.ro; Golden legend.; pandecalidad.com.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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