In the face of all crises, one invincible day
In the face of all the crises and bad omens that besiege us, we have an invincible Sant Jordi, a popular resistance based on roses and books. Perhaps a mirage of normality, but what a marvel. Perhaps a commercialized and overcrowded day, but what a marvel. Perhaps an exception on a day that confirms the rule of too little reading and too little civic-mindedness the rest of the year, but what a marvel. The success of this day is noticeable because everyone embraces it: beyond those directly involved and interested (booksellers, publishers, writers, and florists), schools and associations of all kinds, administrations and political parties of all stripes, bakers and the most varied businesses, companies, and immigrant media outlets all join in. It has an unbeatable capacity for integration and involvement. It inspires a desire to go out and enjoy, to stroll, to do the curious, to choose and stir, to be surprised. Despite the lines and crowds, people leave their bad moods at home. Kindness and joy are almost mandatory for a day. A sugary miracle, and yet so welcome.
In a resentful and enraged world, where war—of weapons and trade—has once again taken center stage, where the fragile balances of an increasingly insecure world order have been shattered, where Donald Trump, a leader with authoritarian and unpredictable tendencies, is setting or concerted, where the fight against the environment is no longer a priority... In such a world, so inadequate, not to say brutal and dangerous, in such a hopeless society, a simple and happy celebration like Sant Jordi makes us, those of us lucky enough to share it, feel for a few hours that women and men are capable of participating together, without reproaching one another. The greatness of the celebration is that it puts freedom at its center: the freedom to read what each one wants, without censorship, and the freedom to love as each one wants, without cancellations.
In times of fear and new witch hunts, like the one beginning in the United States or the one that has long reigned in Putin's Russia and dictatorial China, celebrating a day like ours makes more sense than ever. It's a luxury. This Catalan holiday is part of the spirit of European liberal democracy, which we must preserve like a treasure. And may we be able to spread the civility and respect for difference that permeates the day into our daily lives: in politics and in relationships of all kinds. May the dragon of Sant Jordi protect us from the ghosts of hatred, intolerance, and lack of solidarity that also haunt Catalonia, Spain, and Europe. These are the duties that the day imposes on us once again this year. From now until next Sant Jordi, it is up to us to read, to love... and to think freely and with respect.
