On the day of Sant Jordi, people give one another a rose or a book. The Generalitat in Plaça de Sant Jaume is open to the public and there is a large rose market in the palace and around it, where people can buy both books and roses. (Photo: AP)
People buy books at makeshift stands as Catalans celebrate the day of their patron saint in Barcelona, Spain.
One of the most important holidays in Catalan culture, the day of Sant Jordi or Saint George in English, coincides with World Book Day.
To mark the date, lovers close friends and family traditionally gift each other with a red rose and a book. But many Catalans this year are using the holiday to make a political statement.
People crowd along the historic Las Ramblas promenade of Barcelona to buy books and roses at makeshift stands as Catalans celebrate the day of their patron saint.
A woman prepares some flowers to give away, during International Book Day, in Pamplona northern Spain.
Book sellers continue a Spanish tradition on St. George's Day to give flowers to all people who buy a book, but the origins of the tradition are shrouded in antiquity.
A woman receives a flower as she buys a book during International Book Day, in Pamplona northern Spain.
On the day of Saint Jordi, people give one another a rose or a book.