We are a Nation

Saint George's Day, April 23, is a national holiday in Catalunya. It is the Day of the Book and the Rose, where women give books to their sweethearts, and men give roses to theirs. This year it was on a Sunday so there were so many people in the old quarter you could barely walk (literally).

One of my favorite parts of Saint George's Day is that they open the Catalan House of Parliament, called the Generalitat, to the public. On this day, it truly belongs to everyone. The best part is that you have to wait in line because there are so many people who take advantage of the invitation. I love that.

This year, as we exited into the plaza in front of the Generalitat, there was an impromptu demonstration in favor of Catalan Independence. At the request of the demonstrators, the band that had been in the plaza playing for the Sardana dancers struck up the Catalan National Hymn (Els Segadors) and the whole crowd sang. It made goosebumps go down my spine.

Note the man at the end holding up four fingers... they represent the four red bars in the Catalan flag.