Sant.
Jordi's Day today. For the Spanish, especially the Catalan, it's the
day of books and roses, also known as the Day of Lovers, and Day of Love
and Culture. It's the custom for people to give a token gift of love to
their beloved, always on this day, books for him and roses for her.
It's not against the rule to attach a diamond ring if you intend to
propose, or simply to impress; nor for her to slip a love poem, a photo
of herself between book pages for you either. Neither
is it strictly limited to lovers or hopeful suitors, but also quite
acceptable as a gesture of friendship to some special friends without
implication of love in the personal sense.
Many employers, the appreciative and generous ones, give a book or a rose to their favourite employee too, and very often hotels and restaurants give a single rose to their regular lady customers, but after years living here, I have never seen a male customer ever get a book from anybody other than his wife, girlfriend, or a close relative.
Not too surprising really, considering that on this day, a single rose wrapped in pretty cellophane tied with a ribbon would cost 10 - 15 € in the street, and up to €25 or more in 5 star hotels or fancy and expensive restaurants. Some people say a reliable guideline for the estimated price of a rose in this type of establishment is: for each star rating of the place, add 5€ to the basic street price!! So in recent years, less and less restaurants and coffee bars give out roses any more. Strange thing, men never got their books not now or in the past, not when they are mere customers.
Last year on this day, the very first edition of a photo competition denominated 'The Best Kiss', in which readers of one of the biggest newspapers 'La Vanguardia', could send in what they have taken and reckoned to be a wonderful photo of a kiss. I blogged about it on May the 11th last year and posted also what I had personally chosen as the best kiss, which had in fact won. Here it is:
The
paper had been publishing 5 photos each day since the competition
began, & I have seen many of them: passionate ones in the street, in
the park, up the hill, by the sea ... I have to say I agree completely
with this chosen one as the " Best Kiss " (so baptized, by the paper I
presume). It's so gentle, tender, yet with passion, understated, barely
but unmistakably visible.
Current Mood: 
Accomplished
Accomplished
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