Non-alcoholic drinks to celebrate Saint Gorge, Books and Rose Day
Saint George’s Day is coming, the day declared by Unesco as International Book Day, a day that without being a holiday is the most festive of the whole year. The 23rd of April has become an icon, a day on which the exchange of books and roses has become a tradition. These are 5 curiosities about Saint George that you probably didn’t know.
In Catalonia it takes on special relevance, it is also our Valentine’s Day, where we treat ourselves to roses and books. The streets are decorated with flags, book stalls abound and every corner is an improvised rose garden.
It’s a very special day and at or alcohol-free drinks shop we celebrate in style, with a hangover-free drink. A non-alcoholic drink to toast every curiosity about this beautiful tradition. To Saint George, patron of Catalonia, but also of countries like Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Georgia and England.
Why do people give books as presents on Saint George?
Since the Middle Ages, Saint George’s Day has commemorated the death of the martyred soldier that took place on 23 April 303. For a time it was thought that William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes also died on 23 April, in 1616.
In reality, neither died on that day: Cervantes died on the 22nd and was buried on the 23rd; Shakespeare died on the date indicated but in the Julian calendar, which corresponds to 3 May in the Gregorian calendar. Nevertheless, 23 April is still kept as Book Day to honour these two great writers.
We raise a glass of a very special sparkling wine, alcohol-free wine Noughty, which has nothing to envy to the best semi-dry cava, but without a drop of alcohol. A non-alcoholic wine to toast to the two authors and to all those who make our lives more pleasant through literature.
Why do people give roses in Saint George?
In the 9th century, a popular legend appeared, that of “Saint George and the dragon“, the probable origin of all fairy tales about princesses and dragons in the West. Legend has it that it was Saint George who freed a princess from being devoured by a dreaded dragon. The holy soldier stabbed the beast with his sword and from the blood of his wound sprang a huge bouquet of red roses.He took the most beautiful one and gave it to the princess.
And to celebrate this beautiful tale, I propose a toast with a very special red wine, Oddbird GSM, the colour of the roses that are given as a gift on this day, and, like them, inoffensive. You can drink the whole bottle and your brain cells, liver and waistline won’t even notice.
Since when is Saint George the Day of the Book and the Rose?
In 1926, the Valencian Vicente Clavel Andrés promoted the first festival to encourage reading, especially the works of Cervantes. At first it was held in October, but in 1929, during the Barcelona International Exposition, bookshops set up stalls in the streets. The success was such that it was decided to change the date of Book Day to 23 April. In 1995, UNESCO established Saint George’s Day as International Book and Copyright Day. We still celebrate it in style: with a gin & tonic of Lyre’s Dry London, one of our favourite alcohol-free gins.
Why is the rose accompanied by an ear of wheat?
Well, it’s not only roses or books that men (and women) live for. Wheat has always been a symbol of fertile and rich soil. That’s why giving an ear of wheat next to a rose is a symbol of passion, love, fertility, happiness and wealth.
Today give yourself a tribute, make a special meal. Try the marvellous Saint George’s cakes or treat yourself to something as simple and tasty as pa amb tomaquet (bread with tomato) and ham. Accompany it with a few bottles of Clausthaler Dry Hopped, the non-alcoholic toasted-style beer. Make April 23rd a great day with non-alcoholic beers.
Did you know that Casa Batlló was inspired by the legend of Saint George?
Gaudí, passionate about the popular legend of Saint George, decorated the roof with tiles that simulated the scales of the dragon’s back, and placed the four-armed sword attached to it, symbolising the wound that killed him. The bony columns represent the dragon’s victims before Saint George killed him. That is why Casa Batlló is also known as the house of bones or the house of the dragon. I raise my glass Carl Jung Rosé to Antoni Gaudí whose work made Barcelona even more beautiful.
