The answer is on St George’s Day, or Book Day, as people call it. Every year, on 23rd April, people give each other books and roses in honour of St George. The tradition of giving roses began in the 15th century. According to a legend, St George killed a dragon, and the dragon’s blood turned into a rose bush. St George gave a rose from the bush to a princess, and once a year, men still give roses to women.
So how did books become part of the festival? The 23rd April is the date of the death of the famous authors Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare, so people began giving each other books on this day. The custom became so popular that countries all over the world have started celebrating Book Day as well.
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