Spanish Culture And Lifestyles

Spanish culture, a result of geographical location and influence from the Muslim, Greek, North African, Roman and Phoenician cultures, is very rich, colorful and extremely mysterious. If you want to know more about the culture and lifestyle in Spain then read on:

Food in Spain

As far as food is concerned, you don’t have to spend much when eating out. Usually meals in Spain are substantial instead of gourmet. One of the best ways to sample local delicacies in this country is the Spanish tradition Tapas, a small dish of snacks, served especially in small bars. Almost all types of foods from vegetables and seafood are covered in this. Many people in Spain spend their evenings going from one bar to another, trying different Tapas. Serrano Ham and Paella are favorite food items in Spain. Paella is either based on seafood or meat. You can also find a lot of fish delicacies in Spain and if you get to coastal areas, it must be sampled. Almost every region in this country has its own specialty. Usually, the Spanish prefer eating a traditional continental breakfast, light lunch and a late evening meal.

Spanish Alcohol, Wine & Brandy

Spain is primarily a wine drinking country and each region produces their own special wines. Within Spain you will find numerous large breweries that produce the lager-like light beers, a popular drink. Valdepeñas and riojas are principal table wines and have been named after the region where the production takes place. Rioja belongs to the regions around Logrono in northeast Spain. This wine is delicate and resembles the French Bordeaux. Valdepeñas found midway between Madrid and Cordoba, is a rough wine but very pleasant. As far as sherry is concerned, the Jerez area is famous. This is the place from where the first export of sherry took place.

Today, 75% of all sherry exports are bought by Britain. Four main types of sherry are fino (dry and pale), oloroso (golden and medium fragrant), dulce (sweet) and amontillado (darker, dry and rich in body). Chacoli is a green, sour and sparkling favorite wine in the Basque country. Most of the sparkling wines in Spain are fruity and sweet. Even the supermarket inexpensive wines are famous in the Spanish wine culture. You will also find people drinking Cider is northern Spain.

There is a lot of difference between French brandy and Spanish brandy. According to the specialists, Spanish brandy is a little sweet, pleasant and cheap. Some of the popular brands are Magno, Carlos (distilled in Jerez) and 103. Spaniards drink a lot of coffee too. Small cups are used for serving café solo, which is a black, thick and strong coffee. Café con leche is coffee with milk. They also drink a lot of bottled water. Con gas (fizzy water) and sin gas (still water) are two types of bottled water.

Traditions and Fiestas

When it comes to celebrations, every city and town in Spain has its own special celebrations apart from the national holidays like Easter Week, Christmas or All Saints Day. There is also a lot of variation in the way different regions celebrate the national events. Most of the festivities have a religious base, mainly catholic. Flamenco dance has been linked with Spanish culture. This dance form originated in Andalusia and was traditionally a gypsy dance. Spain also has modern influences and the guitar was developed in Spain when a sixth string was added to Moorish Lute.

Bullfighting

This is one of the most well known aspects of Spanish culture and tradition, showing the influence that other races and people had on Spain. Greeks and Phoenicians brought bullfighting to the Iberian Peninsular and since then it was adopted as a part of Spanish culture. During AD711, when North African Moors moved to Andalusia, important changes occurred in bullfighting. This sport with men on horses fighting the bulls changed gradually to fighting without the aid of a horse. Bullfighting was changed from a sport to a ritualistic event by the Moors as you can see today in a modern bullfight.

Nightlife in Spain

El paseo, a leisurely stroll is what Spaniards start their evenings with. They stroll either through the main streets or along the costal resorts. During the time of fiesta, the atmosphere is very active and vibrant. People like to sit and relax in bars and cafes on a warm evening. There are several nightclubs in Ibiza and other big cities that have managed to attract attention from tourists all over the world and also from the international media.

Most clubs open late at night and run until late the next day. The way of life in Spain as compared to the rest of the Europe is slow, especially in the southern areas. Even though this might seem lazy, Spaniards are hard workers. They have managed to adapt to the weather in Spain. On a common basis, life begins in Spain after the sun sets especially in summers. Spaniards are considered to be happy people who want to enjoy life to its fullest. They are in love with food, music and dance. Smoking has been banned in most of Spain’s interior public areas.

Dressing in Spain

Generally, Spanish people tend to have to common clothing. They like to wear designer clothes, but quality is more important to them than a designer label. Clothes made in Spain are not only available at reasonably prices but they are also of good quality. Teenage girls prefer wearing trousers rather than skirts and denim is as always the ‘in” thing. Adults tend to dress in a stylish yet conservative manner. When you enter the church in Spain, make sure that you are well dressed.