▁Trad itionally , ▁boys ▁give ▁girls ▁a ▁red ▁rose ▁and ▁girls ▁give ▁boys ▁a ▁book . ▁Among ▁ros es , ▁many ▁p iles ▁of ▁books ▁are ▁for ▁sale ▁in ▁Catal an ▁streets ▁( 1 . 5 m ▁books ▁sold ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 ). ▁One ▁notable ▁celebr ation ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁Val enci an ▁city ▁of ▁Al co i . ▁There , ▁Saint ▁George ' s ▁Day ▁is ▁comm emor ated ▁as ▁a ▁thanks g iving ▁celebr ation ▁for ▁the ▁proc laimed ▁aid ▁the ▁Saint ▁provided ▁to ▁the ▁Christian ▁troops ▁fighting ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁in ▁the ▁sie ge ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁Its ▁citizens ▁comm emor ate ▁the ▁day ▁with ▁a ▁fest ivity ▁in ▁which ▁thousands ▁of ▁people ▁para de ▁in ▁medieval ▁cost umes , ▁forming ▁two ▁" arm ies " ▁of ▁Mo ors ▁and ▁Christians ▁and ▁re - en act ing ▁the ▁sie ge ▁that ▁gave ▁the ▁city ▁to ▁the ▁Christians . ▁ ▁Portugal ▁Dev ot ions ▁to ▁Saint ▁George ▁in ▁Portugal ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century , ▁and ▁Saint ▁Const able ▁attributed ▁the ▁victory ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁against ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁mostly ▁modern ▁day ▁Spain , ▁in ▁the ▁battle ▁of ▁Al jub ar ro ta ▁in ▁the ▁four teenth ▁century ▁to ▁Saint ▁George . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁King ▁John ▁I ▁( 1 3 5 7 – 1 4 3 3 ) ▁Saint ▁George ▁became ▁the ▁patron ▁saint ▁of ▁Portugal ▁and ▁the ▁King ▁ordered ▁that ▁the ▁saint ' s ▁image ▁on ▁the ▁horse ▁be ▁carried