By Sophia Vargas
The Sant Jordi festival, deeply rooted in Catalan culture, has historically been celebrated as an event that commemorates love and culture through the exchange of books and roses. However, behind this seemingly innocent tradition lies a narrative deeply entrenched in patriarchy, perpetuating restrictive gender roles and systemic inequalities. In this sense, it becomes evident to us the urgent need to re-signify the celebration of Sant Jordi from a feminist perspective.
And that is precisely what we did at Metzineres: first, recognizing how the traditional story of Sant Jordi narrates the bravery of a man who saves a defenseless womxn from a fierce dragon, thereby reinforcing the notion that womxn need to be rescued by male heroes. This patriarchal narrative diminishes our capabilities and perpetuates unequal power schemes in which only men have the opportunity to be considered heroes.
Therefore, it is so important for us to give new context and new meaning to this celebration by challenging traditional narratives and giving prominence to womxn, recognizing their agency and capacity to write their own stories. In our case, these stories turned into a visual poem, created by many Metzineres in the workshop “Visual Poems” led by the artist Christina Schultz. “Poema Dragona” was drawn, painted, and written by women and gender-diverse people who are victims of systemic violence. It stands as a powerful tool of resistance and empowerment for those who have found in this artistic expression a way to raise their voices and challenge patriarchal structures. This poem not only transforms the Sant Jordi festival but also helps amplify the voices that have historically been excluded and silenced.
By recognizing and denouncing the macho culture underlying this celebration, we empower ourselves and our bodies, actively challenge a system that perpetuates inequalities and violence, and re-signify this festivity as a symbolic act that consolidates a call to action to transform our realities and build a more equitable and just world for everyone.
To honor this new re-signification of Sant Jordi, we wrote a poem in honor of the dragoness Vibria and the princess. In this new story, the dragoness is not a monster to be feared but a force of nature that challenges the status quo and paves the way for a more equal and just future.
We refuse to accept the constant sacrifice of women in traditional stories, and instead, we reaffirm power, autonomy, and self-esteem. Inspired by legendary dragon names like Vibria, Saphira, Viserion, and Tiamat, we rewrote the story to reflect the strength and courage of women and gender-diverse people.
This workshop also brought with it a reinvention of the symbolism of flowers. Instead of settling for the traditional roses, we chose to represent a variety of plants that go beyond superficial beauty and have healing and medicinal properties. Elder, thorn apple, poppy, tree flower, rhododendron, pheasant’s eye, lady’s mantle, and autumn crocus.
But what is an opiate and how does it relate to our work? Flowers and their meanings are intrinsically linked to anti-prohibitionism. We are womxn who use drugs, challenging the prohibition policies that criminalize and marginalize us.
These plants not only have medicinal properties but also represent powerful metaphors for sisterhood and resistance. For example, elder, which cures coughs, symbolizes the importance of caring for each other. The poppy, an opiate that relieves pain, reminds us of the power of unity in the fight against oppression.
Why settle for a single symbol when there are so many plants that represent diversity and strength?
This process of interpretation and creation was collaborative and meaningful. Each part of the poem, from the dragons to the flowers, was drawn and written by a different Metzinere, demonstrating that together we can collectively build new realities and narratives. The final result, a poster that celebrates the diversity and empowerment of womxn, is now available for purchase, allowing this new version of Sant Jordi to reach a wider audience.
Photographs: Andre Gaetano, Metzineres Photographer.
