Dia del Libro

When I went to Barcelona, our walking tour guide briefly mentioned Saint George's Day in Cataluña, where couples exchange roses and books. Although Madrid doesn't partake in this tradition, every 23rd of April Spain celebrates World Book Day, a day commemorating literature. Despite its status as an international holiday, I've never actually heard of it. The teachers arranged an amigo invisible (secret pal) type book exchange, but I was surprised to find that the celebration extended beyond simply buying a book for a co-worker.

Yesterday I essentially worked from 9:15 to 10:00, after which I watched the 5th graders perform skits for the other classes. After a half-hour recess, I walked into my classroom and discovered that they would be covering short stories--in Spanish. At 12:30, the teachers ducked into the library for pastries and the book exchange. My amigo invisible--who still unfortunately remains a mystery--gave me a copy of short stories from a well-known Spanish author.

I'm always impressed with how Spaniards manage to make a big deal of even the smallest celebrations. There was so much energy and excitement over the the book exchange, and afterward the teachers went to the local bar for a drink. We're not in Kansas anymore.

In short, I basically did no work, received a brand new book, got to drink a few beers on my lunch break, and left work almost two hours early--all in the name of literature. Go books!