Moving to Spain from the United States was an exciting journey – one filled with many surprises and culture shocks. The unique cultural differences in Spain can be a lot for someone first moving to the country. In case you’re planning on visiting, I have compiled a list of Spain’s unspoken rules to help you out.
Eat at the Right Times
Coming from the United States, meal times in Spain were the biggest shock to me.
Second Breakfast: most people eat a little something in the morning (milk or coffee with cookies, biscuits, or bread), and then eat another breakfast again around 11 am.
Lunch: school gets out at 5 o’clock, so lunch is from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Most students opt to go home and eat lunch with their families, while others eat in the cafeteria.
Merienda: something that most English speaking counties don’t have an equivalent for. It is a snack or light meal eaten in the late afternoon, around 6:00 pm, when students arrive home from school. Typically, a light sandwich, pastry, cookies, yogurt, or fruit to keep you going until dinner.
Dinner: I was shocked to find that everyone eats dinner between 9 and 11 pm. In the United States, I would eat dinner around 6:00 or 7:00 pm. If you go out looking for a restaurant at dinnertime in the city, you’ll be shocked to find that most restaurants don’t open until at least 9:00 pm.
Don’t Eat and Walk
In Spain, it is virtually unheard of to eat on the go. That is because of their unique culture surrounding meal times – they even have a word for it.
Somebremesa: the word for the time spent relaxing at the table after a meal. This time is used for conversations with loved ones, usually over coffee or tea. In Spain, meals are very important and seen as a chance to connect with others – very different from the attitude in the United States, a country filled with fast food and to-go meal options. The relaxed attitude surrounding meals has been a refreshing change of pace for me.
Dress Nice
It is very typical to see everyone walking down the street in their best attire. People are always in business casual or formal attire, even on a weekend. It is safe to say I felt a little out of place leaving the airport in my sweatpants when I first arrived.
Prepare for Long Days
If you are going to be staying in Spain, be prepared for long days. With late dinners and school days that get out at 5 o’clock, leading into afterschool sports or music lessons for kids, the days tend to drag on and on – not necessarily a bad thing, just takes some getting used to.
Greet People You Know
In Spain, the proper greeting to a shopkeeper is hola or buenas, and a simple hasta luego or adiós when you leave goes a long way. It is considered friendly and polite to always greet a storekeeper this way – something you might not always be used to in other countries. Also, when meeting people for the first time, or greeting friends and family, you always greet with two kisses, one on each cheek. Something that can take some getting used to.
Author: Victoria T.