The Spanish Culture

Spain is known for its great diversity and cultural heritage. Due to its ideal geographical location, the culture in Spain is greatly influenced by people of all cultures, ranging from the Greeks and Romans to the Muslims, North Africans and Phoenicians. The language spoken by Spaniards i.e. Spanish (Espanol) is known by different names as follows: Castillan, Catalan, Galician, Basque and Aranese.

Spanish Customs and Traditions
Fiestas: The different festivals/fiestas which continue almost 365 days of the year in this country are the highlights of Spanish culture. The 'Tomato Festival' (la Tomatina) is one such popular fiesta. This festival (la Tomatino) is celebrated every year in Bunyol; it takes place in the last week of August. The la Tomatino is kind of a 'tomato battle' played both by locals and tourists. Highlights of festivals celebrated in Spain are the fireworks, dances and music. People wear traditional attire during these festivals.

                                                      la Tomatino

Siesta: The siesta is one of the most famous aspects of Spanish life - that dead period in late afternoon when everything shuts down in Spain, in theory so people can go to sleep. Spain is a hot country, especially mid-afternoon, and the traditional reason for the siesta is for the workers in the fields to shelter from the heat. They would then feel refreshed after their sleep and would work until quite late in the evening, longer than they would have been able to without the siesta. The Spanish take the siesta very seriously, even going so far as to have a Sleeping Competition in its honor. 

Flamenco: In Spain, Flamenco is not just a dance form. It is actually an art form that consists of singing, dancing, guitar, hand-claps, etc. This passionate form of dance first originated in Andalusia and was originally considered to be a gypsy dance. It is a flamboyant dance that is accompanied by the soulful tunes of the guitar and a song (cante), which is the soul of the whole art of doing the dancing the Flamenco. At its best, it is one of the true classical cultural contributions that Spain has to offer.

                                                          Flamenco

After the customs and traditions, let's take a look at some interesting fun facts about Spain and Spanish!

1. In Spain, there are more than 8000 kms of beaches. That explains why the beaches are what attracts a lot of tourists from all around the world to this country.
2. Most of the rain that happens in Spain is in the mountainous regions. The plains hardly receive any rain fall.
3. Soccer in Spain is an important part of life of the people in Spain. It is said that Spanish children learn to walk and play soccer simultaneously. 
4. Spaniards often start the evening with el paseo, a leisurely stroll through the main streets or along the paseo maritimo in the coastal resorts. 
5. In this country, people eat a very late lunch - between 2 pm to 4pm. Dinner is mostly had after ten in the night. Most Spaniards prefer to have breakfast in eateries or small hotels rather than having it at home.
6. The Spanish tradition of tapas is a good way to sample the local food. Tapas are small dishes of snacks which are served anytime especially in small bars. They cover all types of food from seafood to vegetables. Many Spanish make an evening of hopping from bar to bar trying different tapas.
7. The diet in Spain is reported to be one of the most healthy diets in the world. The combination of olives, fresh fruit, seafood and fresh vegetables can help sustain a healthy and long life. 
8. The tap water in Madrid, capital city of Spain is so clean that it can be drunk as it is, without filtering.
9. Spain is famous for its aromatic wines and the drinking age in the country is 18. 
10. Spanish men tend to maintain eye contact with females for longer, although this does not mean anything.
11. The teens date in groups till they turn eighteen. Only after that they go out as a couple.
12. When the Spaniards talk to each other, they stand very close and touch each other every now and then on the shoulder while talking.
13. Spanish people are known to be fun-loving, music lovers, sports crazy, and the country is host to a number of the most-visited tourist spots in the world.
14. Spanish New Year tradition is to eat 12 grapes at midnight, one grape for each stroke of the clock, indicating a sign of good luck. 
15. The Spanish celebrate Christmas till the 6 January! They believe that on this day the three kings had visited baby Jesus and presented him with gifts.