El Día de Sant Jordi is a celebration represented by books and roses. Men give roses to the women they love, and women give books to their partners.
El Día de Sant Jordi, or Saint George's Day (23rd of April), is a festive occasion that has become a celebration of Catalonian culture. This is why many balconies in the city are decorated with the Senyera, the Catalonian flag, as they are on other vital national dates. El Día de Sant Jordi is also a celebration of love, represented by books and roses. Traditionally, men give roses to the women they love, and women give books to the men who have stolen their hearts. The streets are filled with bookstalls, rose sellers, and people celebrating this special day.
Sant Jordi gets its name from Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia. There are many legends about this saint. One of them says that Saint George saved a princess who was being eaten by a dragon. Another legend says that St Jordi was a dragon slayer, and he killed many dragons in his lifetime.
What are some activities your class can do to celebrate Sant Jordi?
1. Get to know St. Jordi and the holiday
Talk about the legend of the dragon and how it links to Catalonia. During this activity, you can watch a video of some Catalan children telling the story of St Jordi, or why not watch a short video that explains what this holiday is? This one by Dreaming Spanish explains the holiday using comprehensible input: Click here to watch.
2. Learn about flowers and roses
You could make a board game (similar to snakes and ladders) where you have to answer questions about flowers and roses. Or, as an alternative, you could create an information poster with some fun facts about roses and flowers in general.
There are many templates available online; just Google "Snakes and Ladders Printable," and many suggestions should pop up.
3. Use stories related to books and friendship
In Garbanzo, we love everything book-related! Here are some stories you can use to talk about books and the magic of reading:
1069 | EMETM 2020-2021 Nivel A | Booktubers participan en una Feria del Libro (Nivel A)
1070 | EMETM 2020-2021 Nivel B | Booktubers participan en una Feria del Libro (Nivel B)
314 | Core100 | Biblioburro: Una introducción
427 | Core100 | Biblioburro: una biblioteca especial
308 | Core100 | Hombre uruguayo donó libros y creó una biblioteca
4. Make a book holder using old CD cases
Thanks to streaming services, we all have CDs we no longer use, so why not put those old cases to good use? This is an effortless task and practical for all your class books. Students can create one for themselves or as a gift.
Here is a lovely video of Ecovisa DIY on how to repurpose those old CD cases: Click here to see how to repurpose old CD cases.
5. Roleplaying a fight between Sant Jordi and the dragon.
You can create a class story with Sant Jordi and the dragon as the main characters. Students have to come up with different ways to slay the dragon. Afterward, create a printable with the story you developed as a class and have a Reader's Theater (if you want to know more, check Martina's blog about it).
Hopefully, you've now got some great ideas for activities that your students can do in the classroom. The heartening truth is that you don't need a lot to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone, especially if you remember these essential tips: keep things fun and simple, embrace mistakes and failures and look for ways to encourage children to express themselves.
