El Día de Sant Jordi in Spanish Class

April 23rd is el Día del Libro y el Día de la Rosa, and it also celebrates the feast of Sant Jordi! (That’s a lot to celebrate!) In many parts of Spain, people give books or roses to each other. It’s a fun celebration (who doesn’t love a holiday that involves giving books!?) and a great day to teach about in your classroom. Here are some ideas for celebrating El Día de Sant Jordi in Spanish class!

Teaching Your Students About El Día de Sant Jordi

Sant Jordi is also known as San Jorge or, of course, Saint George! Sant Jordi is the patron saint of Catalonia. You’ve probably heard the legend of St. George fighting a dragon. You probably also know that April 23rd is the date of Sant Jordi’s death, and that’s why it’s his feast day.

But do you know why people in Spain give roses to each other on April 23rd? The Catalan legend of Sant Jordi tells us that the blood that dripped from the dragon’s wounds made a rosebush sprout from the ground. And that rosebush bloomed every April! That’s why roses are given as gifts to loved ones every year on el Día de Sant Jordi, and why it’s also called el Día de la Rosa. It’s almost like another Valentine’s Day in many parts of Spain!

El Día de Sant Jordi has been celebrated with roses since medieval times, but the Catalan tradition of giving books as gifts on April 23rd only started in the 1920s.Today, this Spanish holiday combines love, culture, and literature, with stalls selling roses and books lining the streets and many cultural events being held!

Here are some lesson plans, activities, and videos you can use to teach about El Día de Sant Jordi in Spanish Class!

Watch the Video

 

Videos for El Día de Sant Jordi in Spanish Class

If you’re not familiar with Dreaming Spanish YouTube channel, you’re missing out! He does a GREAT job creating comprehensible videos for language learners. Here’s my favorite video for this Spanish holiday!

If you’re looking for more videos, check out my Pinterest board here for some other options!

How To Make Tissue Paper Roses for El Día de la Rosa

If you’d like, making tissue paper roses is a great, simple activity for your students on this holiday. Here’s a quick tutorial for you:

This would be a great addition to any lesson plan on El Día de Sant Jordi in Spanish Class! If you wanted to, it could even become a fundraiser for your Spanish club. Students could make the flowers and sell them at lunch for students to give to their friends!

You can play this step by step video on repeat for them, if you would like!

Class Activity Ideas for El Día del Libro

Here are a few ideas for classroom activities celebrating El Día del Libro, also known as World Book Day, on April 23rd as well!

• Have your students write their own very simple storybook in Spanish, and even add illustrations! Then, they can gift the book to someone else in the class, who will read and translate the story! You can give them some story ideas to get them started, or have them focus on certain vocab words or grammar concepts you’ve been working on recently. Here’s a video on how to make a mini book! 
• Let your class choose some simple books in Spanish from your school library or your classroom library, and give them a reading day in class as a treat! (Check out my blog post about Spanish books your novice students will love!)
• Ask students to take turns describing the basic storyline of their favorite books to a partner in class, in Spanish, of course! 
• Assign a research project (in English) about major Spanish authors and/or works of literature, and let students present their projects on April 23rd in class. 
• Download my bundle of Spanish bookmark printables for your students to color, decorate, and list their favorite books on! This resource includes 8 different printable bookmarks that give students a variety of ways to track books they have read! There are bookmarks with fewer spaces to record, and a few with more spaces, to accommodate different levels of readers.
• Have your students write book reviews of their favorite books using these Book Review Templates in Spanish. This resource includes four different templates for reviewing ANY book! The templates are included in Spanish and in Spanish with English support. Students can describe the book, draw their favorite part, or give it a star rating!

Pair the Legend with a Creative Storytelling Twist

If your students are already intrigued by the legend of Sant Jordi and the dragon, why not give them the chance to rewrite it? After sharing a reading or video version of the story, have students work in pairs or small groups to create their own spin on the tale. Maybe in their version, the dragon is misunderstood and just wants a snack. Maybe Sant Jordi rides in on a skateboard instead of a horse. Let them get silly, be creative, and most of all, use the vocabulary you’ve been building in class.

You can scaffold the activity with sentence starters or a mini word bank. Students can present their version in Spanish as a short skit, comic strip, or illustrated storybook. This is a great way to sneak in writing, speaking, and collaboration without it feeling like a typical assessment.

El Día de Sant Jordi Class Reading Activity

Click here to see this reading and comprehension activity in my store!

This print and go resource is clear and accessible for your students, and easy for you to use! Students read about El Día de Sant Jordi. Then, they complete the graphic organizer and comprehension questions to show what they’ve learned!

Students will really enjoy learning about this legend and the traditions in Spain on April 23rd. It’s a great way to explore culture and practice reading skills! Click here to download this reading to use with your students!

How do you Celebrate El Día de Sant Jordi?

Do you do anything to teach about this holiday? Comment below!

Pair the Legend with a Creative Storytelling Twist

If your students are already intrigued by the legend of Sant Jordi and the dragon, why not give them the chance to rewrite it? After sharing a reading or video version of the story, have students work in pairs or small groups to create their own spin on the tale. Maybe in their version, the dragon is misunderstood and just wants a snack. Maybe Sant Jordi rides in on a skateboard instead of a horse. Let them get silly, be creative, and most of all, use the vocabulary you’ve been building in class.

You can scaffold the activity with sentence starters or a mini word bank. Students can present their version in Spanish as a short skit, comic strip, or illustrated storybook. This is a great way to sneak in writing, speaking, and collaboration without it feeling like a typical assessment.