Spain is one of the cultural centres of Europe with its various regions all being different to one another. It is a fascinating country both to visit and to live in.

As soon as you arrive in Spain you will notice things are quite different to the way we live in the U.K. There are many traditions you will be aware of e.g. fiestas and bullfighting, as well as ones you may not have heard of. The Spanish also eat at different times to us and greet people in a slightly different way. Knowing a few of their cultural differences before you arrive in Spain will help you settle in more quickly.

Fiestas

Most of the Spanish fiestas are celebrated nationally, but there are many that are observed regionally. No matter what time of year you arrive, there is always an important celebration happening somewhere in Spain. There is fantastic entertainment with firework displays, Spanish music, dance and traditional dress. It is worthwhile going to a fiesta if you can.

One of the more interesting fiestas is the Tomato Festival ( la Tomatina). It takes place during the last week in August in Bunyol, near Valencia. The ‘tomato battle’ commences on the Wednesday and all participants (locals and tourists) throw tomatoes, shirts and other things at each other. This can be quite dangerous as not all rules are adhered to.

Christmas

Christmas is celebrated in much the same way as in the U.K with many of the same traditions, but there is a tradition in Spain that is called ‘Hogueras’. It is the observation of winter solstice and is characterised by people jumping over fires as a protection against illness.

Christmas dinner is always eaten after midnight and Christmas carols and hymns are sung until the early hours of the morning.

Another difference is that in Spain, it is the Three Wise Men who come bearing gifts and not Santa. On the Eve of Epiphany, January 5th, children place their shoes on the doorstep in the hope that the Three Wise Men will leave them presents.

Bullfights

Bullfighting is one of the more famous Spanish traditions and the first Plaza de Toros was built in Madrid in 1749.One of the most popular events is in Pamplona. This bullfighting fiesta takes place in July and starts with a bull-run where bulls are let loose into the streets. Young people run behind the bulls until they enter the bull ring where the bullfights take place in the afternoon. Bullfighting is now seen by most to be barbaric with many animal cruelty issues. It is definitely not for the faint hearted. If you wish to see bullfighting for yourself, it is advisable to visit one of the many museums before hand which will give you an insight as to what will happen.

Eating out

Breakfast

Many Spanish people eat breakfast around mid-morning rather than first thing. It usually consists of coffee and sweet buns, cereals, cakes or toasted bread. You will find that the coffee is a lot stronger and is served as more of an ‘espresso’ than our traditional mug. If you don’t like it this way, ask for an ‘Americano’.

Lunch

In Spain, lunch is the most important meal of the day and is eaten between 1.30 and 4.00. This is when you will find a lot of the shops and businesses are closed for their ‘siesta’ and they re-open later in the day. A good tip is to go shopping in some of the larger stores because they don’t close and will be much quieter then at other times of the day.

Supper

Supper isn’t eaten until between 8pm and 11pm or even later at the weekend. You may find that most restaurants don’t open until around 8pm.

Greeting people

In Spain, men usually shake hands with other men unless they are close friends or family. In this case they may also pat them on the shoulder or even kiss them on both cheeks. Women will usually give 2 kisses to other women and shake hands with the men unless they know them. It can be a bit uncomfortable initially, but you will soon get used to it.

Smoking

Although smoking has been banned in public places since January 2006, it is still a way of life in Spain. In bars and restaurants a different law applies. For larger bars and restaurants a smoking area is permitted but for the smaller ones the owners are given the option whether to make their premises smoke-free, or not. If they opted to allow smoking then no children under the age of 18 are allowed in. You will find that most bar and restaurant owners took this option. Be aware of this if you have children, or don’t like a smoky atmosphere.

If you require any further information on fiestas and bull-fighting in your area, contact the local tourist information centre.