Spain

The Spanish are generally friendly, helpful, and individualistic. They enjoy conversation and giving advice. The Spanish often consider it their duty to correct “errors” as they see them in others.

Along with the spirit of individualism comes a strong sense of personal pride. Spanish people feel it is very important to project an impression of affluence and social position. Appearance is extremely important. Regional pride and devotion are strong and increasingly expressed.

The usual greeting by Spanish males is a handshake. Friends may pat one another on the back and, may give a abrazo (hug) if they have not seen each other for a long period of time. Women also shake hands when greeting others, but close female friends also kiss each other on the cheek. A slight embrace and kiss on the cheek are also used among women when parting. Family names and titles, such as Senor (Mr) Senora (Mrs), and Senora (Miss) may be used to address older people or professionals.

Spaniards like kissing and hugging. Women always give two kisses (one on each cheek) to almost everyone. Men greet themselves with hugs, if they know them well (relatives, good friends) or just with a handshaking. Men only greet women kisses. All these social rules also apply to strangers.

In former times, there used to be some protocol rules in Spain which are not longer in application: e.g. the guests were always supposed to come at least ten minutes late. In the same way, years ago it was considered distasteful to come with a bottle of wine when you were invited to dinner, because apparently it indicated that you did not expect the host to have good wine.

Times have changed, and nowadays you are expected to be punctual and it is considered a very nice gesture and almost a must if you show up with a bottle of wine, the dessert (for example, a frozen tart you can buy in very bakery), some sweets or some other present when you are invited to dinner or to have coffee. The gesture is more important than the present itself. For some strange reason, flowers are not popular, although Spain is Europe's biggest flower producer.

The Spanish are concerned with their public appearance, even when just running errands. A person's social standing is often shown by the style and the quality of clothing worn. Spanish women try to dress in the latest styles. In Spain, men normally dress conservatively. During festivals local costumes are frequently worn.

Typical Spanish food includes fresh vegetables, meat, eggs, chicken, and fish. Most fried foods are cooked in olive oil. Breakfast is generally a light meal of coffee or hot chocolate, bread and jam, or sometimes churros (a batter made of flour and butter, deep-fried and sprinkled with sugar). A substantial meal is eaten at about 2:00 p.m., and it usually includes soup, a salad, a dish with some kind of fish, a main dish, and fresh fruit. Around 5:00-6:00 p.m., Spaniards eat a snack (merienda), usually a sandwich or sweet bread or crackers with tea or hot milk. Dinner is usually at 9:00 - 10:00 p.m. and is not as large as the midday meal. It may consist of breads and cold meats or other light foods.

At a formal dinner, the host or hostess indicates seating arrangements for guests. For example, ladies, older people, and guests of honor are seated first. At any meal, the continental style of eating is followed, which means one holds a fork in the left hand and a knife in the right. The knife is used for cutting and for pushing food onto the fork. Traditionally, hands are kept above the table at all times and are not placed in the lap during the meal. However, elbows are not to rest on the table; it is best to rest the wrists or forearms on the table edge. Hosts appreciate compliments on the meal. For family meals, the father sits at the head of the table. It is considered poor manners for adults to eat while waking down the street.

Typical Spanish food includes fresh vegetables, meat, eggs, chicken, and fish. Most fried foods are cooked in olive oil. Breakfast is generally a light meal of coffee or hot chocolate, bread and jam, or sometimes churros (a batter made of flour and butter, deep-fried and sprinkled with sugar). A substantial meal is eaten at about 2:00 p.m., and it usually includes soup, a salad, a dish with some kind of fish, a main dish, and fresh fruit. Around 5:00-6:00 p.m., Spaniards eat a snack (merienda), usually a sandwich or sweet bread or crackers with tea or hot milk. Dinner is usually at 9:00 - 10:00 p.m. and is not as large as the midday meal. It may consist of breads and cold meats or other light foods.

The average Spanish family today has 0.7 children., the Spanish birth rate is one of the lowest in the European Union. At the same time, more and more couples simply live together. In some cases, this is legally recognized by the state.

What hasn't changed is the Spanish concept of family. It is quite larger than the northern european one and the close family includes not only direct relatives, but also other distant relatives (for instance, cousins and their women, husbands or kids). Family gatherings are still very popular, at least once a year.

Dating often begins around age fourteen with group activities. Many young men and women begin dating at about age eighteen. In some place couples only date if they plan to marry. A boy often meets a girl at a a place outside her home instead of where she lives. Potential spouses must usually be approved by parents. The average marriage age for men is twenty-seven, while women marry between the age of 20 and 24.

Football (soccer) is the national sport in Spain.  Nearly all children learn how to play the sport, and watching important matches can rise to the level of a national obsession. The Spanish also enjoy cycling and tennis. Because of many miles of coastline, swimming and other water sports are also very popular, such as fishing, sailing, and diving. Spain's diverse terrain provides many opportunities, from beach activities to mountain climbing, from horseback riding to snow skiing, and from international sports such as basketball to regional sports such as (Basque ball). This latter sport is actually a group of games that are played in a variety of settings with different equipment. One version is similar to handball, while another is more like tennis. The most common version is the "jai alai" that is played throughout the Hispanic world and even in some parts of the United States. This game is played against a wall and is considered the fastest sport in the world because of the speeds traveled by the ball. Players use a curved wicker basket to hurl the ball as well as catch and return it.

Gardening is a common recreational pastime. For other forms of recreation, the Spanish turn to their love for music and other cultural arts. At home, many people enjoy watching television in the evening. Spain has a long tradition in literature, architecture, and drama.

Because Spanish families tend to stay up late at night, work and school starts later in the morning in Spain than in many other countries. Nonetheless, children must often arise by 7:00 a.m. After showering and dressing, they have a light breakfast, which typically consists of hot chocolate or café con leche (coffee mixed with an equal amount of hot, frothy milk), sweet rolls, or bread or toast with jam or mild cheese. This is also called a continental breakfast.

Students often walk, ride bikes, or ride special school buses or public transportation, depending on the distance from the school and individual circumstances. Students in rural areas generally ride the school bus. Wealthier families might take their children to school, especially if they attend a private school. At the end of the school day, children return home the same way. Students who attend a school with a long lunch break will sometimes go home for lunch and then return for the afternoon session of school if their family gathers for a traditional midday meal.

The school system in Spain is free to all children, but families must buy the text books, school supplies, and other materials that might be required for school courses or extracurricular activities. Although the state helps to support all public schools and many private and religious schools, families are required to play a significant role in educating the children. When it comes to lunch, Spanish schools will follow one of two schedules. One option begins at about 8:00 in the morning and goes through to 1:30 or 2:00. These schools do not provide lunch for their students. Instead, children return home to eat in the early afternoon. Throughout Spain, the midday meal is traditionally the main family meal. Most secondary schools follow this schedule. However, some schools, including most nursery and primary schools, begin later in the morning (usually 9:00) and then break for lunch at noon. Those schools will offer lunch (which are low-cost but must be paid for by the family), along with some extracurricular activities during the break, and then begin school again at 3:00 in the afternoon, finishing at 5:00. Some families will have their children come home for lunch; others have their children purchase school lunch or send them with a packed lunch from home.

Very few public schools require school uniforms, although infants in nursery school are expected to wear a blue-and-white checked overall. Beyond that, students may dress as they wish. The atmosphere in Spanish schools can be quite relaxed.  For instance, it is not unusual for children in primary schools to call their teachers by their first names. However, subjects are often challenging, and regular homework might be assigned as early as the first grade (age 6). Nursery schools focus on the basics of learning the alphabet and basic skills. Primary schools teach Spanish, math, history, biography, science, physical education, art, and a second language (often English). Most schools will also teach a religion course in Catholicism. Secondary schools serve children between the ages of 12-16, with courses of study becoming more specialized as is typical of most school systems. For example, technology, natural sciences, literature, music, and additional language studies are available to these older students. At the end of secondary school, students take a comprehensive test covering 14 subjects. They must pass at least 12 of the subjects in order to receive a certificate of graduation.

Spanish schools offer a variety of extracurricular activities to provide balance to their academic studies. At the beginning of each year, parents may arrange for one or more afternoon extracurricular activities for their children. These activities include such things as music lessons, tutoring in a specific subject, language classes, computer instruction, art lessons, or a variety of sports. However, since schools in Spain, like most European schools, emphasize academics, most sports, drama, and other activities are sponsored by private clubs.  Sporting competitions are especially held among private groups rather than schools. At schools with longer lunch breaks (chiefly primary schools) between the morning and afternoon sessions of classes, students participate in extracurricular activities during the break. Schools that finish their day at 2:00 p.m. (typically secondary schools) offer these activities after school--or students will participate in private sports clubs. These extracurricular activities not only help better educate children, but they also serve to fill children's time with meaningful activities while their parents are working. Unfortunately, some studies are showing that many children have too many extracurricular activities, which is causing an increase in anxiety and stress, headaches, sleep disorders, and other physical illnesses. According to one study, nearly 10% of younger children experience these problems, and approximately 20% of teenagers do.

Spanish people are well-known for their love of staying up late at night to socialize and enjoy friends and cultural activities. That means that the hours after school allow for some free time (even with a couple of hours or more dedicated to homework) before the family gathers at 9:00 in the evening for dinner. Older children may enjoy some of the local festivals and cultural celebrations, and most children of all ages enjoy the many outdoor sports available, such as soccer, walking, hiking, and biking.  Teenagers will often "hang out" in cafés quite late on weekends, and they also enjoy going to movies.  Streets are still busy at 11:00 at night, with restaurants doing a brisk business for several hours to come. Because of Spain’s many miles of coastline, swimming and other water sports are also very popular, such as fishing, sailing, and diving. Spain’s diverse terrain provides many opportunities, from beach activities to mountain climbing, from horseback riding to snow skiing, and from international sports such as basketball to regional sports such as pelota vasca (Basque ball). This latter sport is actually a group of games that are played in a variety of settings with different equipment.  One version is similar to handball, while another is more like tennis. The most common version is the jai alai that is played throughout the Hispanic world and even in some parts of the United States.  This game is played against a wall and is considered the fastest sport in the world because of the speeds traveled by the pelota (ball).  Players use a curved wicker basket to hurl the ball as well as catch and return it.

Unlike school children in North America, many children in Spain do not eat lunch at school, especially those in secondary school. Instead, they go home for the midday meal, which is called la comida and is the largest meal of the day. This meal will have several courses and may require up to two hours to eat. First would come some type of vegetable or a seafood soup. Next would come a meat dish such as fresh fish or other seafood, chicken, or lamb, fried potatoes, rabbit stew, or something similar. And always bread—freshly baked and lots of it. Following the meat would be a vegetable or a green salad, and then a light dessert, such as a light pastry or fresh fruit. And to finish, a round of coffee and pleasant conversation. Dinner comes sometime between 9:00 p.m. and midnight and is smaller than lunch. It would include soup or a meat dish (similar to what was served at lunch), along with fried potatoes or rice. Green salads and vegetables are usually part of the meal, followed by a light dessert of fresh fruit or flan (a type of vanilla custard). Familes may choose to eat out in the evening, where restaurants are known for low prices and large portions. Families in Spain love to stay up late at night, so it is not unusual to visit with friends or family until close to midnight on weekdays, and weekends can mean staying up until two or three in the morning.

Children in Spain are required to attend school between the ages of 5 and 16. Approximately 30% of all children attend private rather than the state-funded public schools. However, the lines between public, private, and religious schools are not as clear as in many countries, and many private and religious schools also receive financial support from the state. The school year runs from September to June, followed by a summer break of about 10 to 12 weeks that begins around the end of June. Parents must register their children each May for the next year of school. Children usually begin their formal education at age 3, although they can wait until age 5, and some schools accommodate children as young as 9 months.  These early years of schooling are called nursery education.  By the end of the third year (age 5), nursery children will know at least the alphabet and other basic skills. At age 4, they begin to learn to read and write. Primary education covers ages 6 to 12, and is divided into three two-year stages. If a student does not master the material taught at the end of the second year in any phase, he or she might have to repeat that year of schooling. Parents are expected to support their children, and they can visit with the teachers as often as once a week to ensure their children are progressing or to help solve problems that might arise.