On Sant Jordi, it’s all about books. Books and roses, actually. On April 23 Mallorca celebrates Sant Jordi 2024, so don’t forget to get a good read and a rose for your loved one. There are plenty of book and flower stalls all over the island, above all in Palma.

Young and old cluster around the book tables. Not only because book shops offer special discounts. It’s a meet and greet. Writers sign their books, families exchange reading tips. There is music and dance in the streets. And a smile on the face of many.

Besides words and flowers, it’s the tradition itself that‘s being kept. The ritual of getting together, of sharing the memories of the past and creating future ones. The joy of reading, a most solitary pleasure, is handed down in the family. And when you see the sparkling eyes of a child barely able to decipher a text but all the more fascinated to discover an unknown territory, you know about the power of imagination.

Legend has it that Knight George (Jordi in Catalan) killed a dangerous dragon, thus liberating a princess. The blood of the dragon soaked the soil from which grew a beautiful rose bush. This and many more stories are told in the books. And what would life be without them? For this reason, UNESCO declared the day of Sant Jordi World Book Day.

Whether you’re into classic or contemporary literature, you’ll find all of it at Sant Jordi. There’s a huge choice of novels as well as non-fiction, children’s books, comics, lyrics, or coffee table books. And the largest selection of women’s stories at llibreria pròpia, Palma’s first feminist book store.

Find the complete program of Sant Jordi 2024 in Palma, right here.