Spanish Etiquette

Spanish Society & Culture

Spanish Family Values
. The family is the basis of the social structure and includes both the nuclear and the extended family, which sometimes provides both a social and a financial support network.
. Today, it is less common than previously for family members to work in a family business, as personal preferences are important and university education is general
. The structure and the size of the family vary, but generally, people live until longer lives, have fewer children than before, and fewer people live in their homes with extended family.
. Familial networks have become less tight. The greatest changes have occurred inside families, between men and woman, and the parents and children because the values that inspire these relations have changed.
Machismo
. Machismo is the word for male dominance, and the culture of old men who created it has changed dramatically.
. Spain is a very equalitarian society, the birth rate is the one of the lowest in Europe, and women are present at university and work.
Religion in Spain
. The majority of Spaniards are formally Roman Catholic, although different religious beliefs are accepted.
. During the history of Spain, there have been long periods of where different religious groups have coexisted, including Muslims, Jews and Christians.
. Still some traditions manifest more like a cultural event than a religious one.
. During Holy Week, many participants of the processions wear peaked, black hats as the sign of a penitent and walk barefoot, carrying a burden of some kind.
. Religious history is apparent in every small town, where the most grandiose building is typically the church. In the large cities the Cathedrals are almost museums

Often older men will sit down on benches and watch life. I always loved walking by and seeing just one older man on a bench but in Sagunto, Spain I came across a whole load of them. This is just one way the Spanish culture is expressed: by enjoying the simply things in life. :) 

Etiquette & Customs in Spain

Meeting Etiquette
. When introduced expect to shake hands.
. Once a relationship is established, men may embrace and pat each other on the shoulder.
. Female friends kiss each other on both cheeks, starting with the left.
. People are often referred to as Don or Dona and their first name when in formal occasion as a general rule.
. Many men use a two-handed shake where the left hand is placed on the right forearm of the other person.

Dining Etiquette
. If invited to a Spaniard's home, you can bring chocolates, pastries, or cakes; wine, liqueur, or brandy; or flowers to the hostess.
. If you know your hosts have children, they may be included in the evening, so a small gift for them is always appreciated.

Table manners
. Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be shown to a particular seat.
. Always keep your hands visible when eating. Keep your wrists resting on the edge of the table.
. Do not begin eating until the hostess starts.
. Use utensils to eat most food. Even fruit is eaten with a knife and fork.
. If you have not finished eating, cross your knife and fork on your plate with the fork over the knife.
. The host gives the first toast.
. An honored guest should return the toast later in the meal.
. It is acceptable for a woman to make a toast.
. Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel on your plate, tines facing up, with the handles facing to the right.
. Do not get up until the guest of honor does.

This photo is an example of what the facades of the homes look like. They have beautiful roofs with a ride array of colors and usually have lovely flowers on their window sills. The photo was taken in Toledo, Spain.
Business Etiquette and Protocol

Relationships & Communication
. The Spanish prefer to do business with those they know and trust.
. It is important that you spend sufficient time letting your business colleagues get to know you.
. Once you develop a relationship, it will prevail even if you switch companies, since your Spanish business colleagues' allegiance will be to you rather than the company you represent.
. Face-to-face contact is preferred to written or telephone communication.
. The way you present yourself is of critical importance when dealing with Spaniards.
. It is best to display modesty when describing your achievements and accomplishments.
. Communication is formal and follows rules of protocol.
. Avoid confrontation if at all possible. Spaniards do not like to publicly admit that they are incorrect.
. Trust and personal relationships are the cornerstone of business.
. Spaniards, like many societies, are concerned that they look good in the eyes of others and try to avoid looking foolish at all times.

Business Negotiation
. Spaniards place great importance on the character of the person with whom they do business.
. Hierarchy and rank are important. You should deal with people of similar rank to your own.
. Decision-making is held at the top of the company, since this is a hierarchical country. You may never actually meet the person who ultimately makes the decision.
. You may be interrupted while you are speaking. This is not an insult, it merely means the person is interested in what you are saying.
. Spaniards do not like to lose face, so they will not necessarily say that they do not understand something, particularly if you are not speaking Spanish. You must be adept at discerning body language.
. Spaniards are very thorough. They will review every minute detail to make certain it is understood.
. First you must reach an oral understanding. A formal contract will be drawn up at a later date.
. Spaniards expect both sides to strictly adhere to the terms of a contract.

Business Meeting Etiquette
. Appointments are mandatory and should be made in advance, preferably by telephone or fax. Reconfirm in writing or by telephone the week before.
. You should try to arrive on time for meetings.
. The first meeting is generally formal and is used to get to know each other. Do not be surprised if no business is actually conducted during the first meeting.
. Agendas are often used but not always needed to be followed too strict.
. Make sure all your printed material is available in both English and Spanish.
. Not all businesspeople speak English, so it is wise to check if you should hire an interpreter.
. Several people may speak at once. You may be interrupted while you are speaking.
. Decisions are not reached at meetings. Meetings are for discussion and to exchange ideas.
. Most Spaniards do not give their opinion at meetings. Therefore, it is important to watch their non-verbal communication.

Dress Etiquette
. Business dress is stylish yet, conservative.
. Dress as you would in the rest of Europe.
. Elegant accessories are important for both men and women.

Business Cards
. Present your business card to the receptionist upon arriving.
. Have one side of your card translated into Spanish.
. Hand your card so the Spanish side faces the recipient.

The Spanish Cuisine

Today is my favorite topic. Food. You can always find delicious food wherever you visit; however, you must be willing to look. Every country-in my opinion- has three unique items that are special only to that particular country yet common all throughout the market. These three items are coffee, chocolate and ice cream! As common as these may seem, I encourage you to always try these three staple items (or create your own!) wherever the wind may take you. You will not be sorry, rather your pallet will be completely satisfied! This is all about Spanish cuisine. Hope you enjoy! :)

"The Spanish cuisine is an honest and non-pretentious cuisine that is loyal to its regions with their specialties and has remained rather uninfluenced by northern cousins.   It is not known for it's elegance nor for its bakery/pastry goods but rather for its rustic approach to the Spanish passion of food.  Besides the national dish - the cocido - and well known favourites such as Iberian ham, sherry, paella and sangria, tapas are most probably where the Spanish Cuisine excels. Spanish wine is finally gaining its due respect worldwide as well as Spanish cheese varieties.  

Paella Marisco 

Spanish explorers introduced the potato from South America in 1540 where it was enthusiastically cultivated long before it became popular in northern Europe and the rest of the world.  Sir Walter Raleigh brought the potato to England in 1585 where it became the Irish staple.  The French were skeptical of it until Paramentier began his potato campaign in 1771.  Versatile and able to take on many guises from simple peasant fare to elaborate, it is THE staple in Spain.

Tortilla Espanol

The Spanish love their vegetables, almost as much as meat which takes first priority.  Where steaming/boiling them is common in northern Europe and most of the western world, the typical preparation method here would be sautéing them lightly first then adding small amounts of water or caldo (broth) to keep them from scorching.  Unfortunately, vegetables are still preferred the old fashioned way - very well done (overcooked according to French or Italian standards).  All food is well salted.

Jamon

There are numerous food magazines on the Spanish market offering new influences not only on the menu theme, but also encouraging shorter cooking times, less salt and more modern (lower fat) methods.  There ARE vegetarians in Spain, health shops (more in medium to larger towns and cities) as well as vegetarian magazines/books but it is not easy to find vegetable variety in restaurants.  

Fruit &Vegetables 

Restaurant offerings of vegetables are rather standard and often contain meat or ham.  Typical of our seafood-bountiful area would be a few fried aubergine slices, grilled green pepper and green beans with ham with perhaps a seasonal vegetable such as zucchini added.  Only the better restaurants offer a little more selection on the menu. 

Spain is a wine drinking country and so it is served with meals or tapas and rarely drunk to excess.  Those that don't feel like it, enjoy a natural bottled water instead.  In fact, when the Spanish celebrate, wine or beer are just part of it and not the means to have a good time.  The Spanish, like the Italians do not need alcohol to 'loosen up' and have fun - that comes naturally.  It is interesting that when 'certain other cultures' celebrate for example New Years the main goal seems to be to start early and heavy almost in competition of each other to get as stupidly drunk as possible - then commiserate over it the next day about how much one drank.  

Tapas: Olives, Ham, Cheese..

The Spanish can have a rip-roaring good time as the night progresses, but very rarely overdo it to drunkenness.  Wine is paced, water is drunk without embarrassment and a hard alcohol such as brandy is something enjoyed after a meal. This is not to say that alcoholism does not exist in Spain, just that it is not dominant here.  

Gazpacho

Interestingly, England has the highest per capita rate of alcoholism in Europe.  The day begins and ends for many in the pub, or for the upper class - the club. 

Hot Chocolate & Churros

The Spanish start their day or desayuno with a thick hot chocolate (pourable pudding consistency) with churros, a kind of pastry or coffee.  For country labourers and workmen few hours later, at around 10 or 10:30 is the second breakfast (las onces) which may be sausages, eggs and bread.  Around 12pm, tapas may be nibbled on with a little wine.  The lunch or comida a bit late for most European standards and is often after 2pm. and is a substantial affair of two to three courses.  La merienda is the late afternoon snack and la cena is usually between 9pm and 10pm and is lighter than the comida, but still may be of soup, fish, vegetables.  

Cafe con Leche

                                                

The Spanish often forgo the cena at home and enjoy instead tapas at the local bar.  Wine or water is drunk with most meals, but no one in Spain drinks coffee or tea WITH the meals.  This is something strange that foreigners do here.  Coffee is enjoyed as an expresso (café solo) after la cena or possibly after la comida or as a pick up anytime in between.   A 'sombre' (shadow) is coffee with mostly hot milk, 'café con leche' (coffee with milk) is half and half, a 'cortado' (a short one) is with very little milk.  

Horchata 

In summer, one often orders however one likes it with a glass of ice.  Or one orders one of the many summer coolers such as batido (a milkshake) granizado (a half frozen yet liquid lemon drink) or horchata (a milky-like delicious drink made from tiger-nuts or almonds) After sweetening, one pours it over the ice and enjoys it.  The fan or 'abonico' is ever present in Spain as is time to relax a moment or watch the world go by before returning to the business of life.

As you can see, the Spanish enjoy their food, portions served are always generous and yet the Spanish are not known as a heavy weight folk in general.  Perhaps it is the wine..."

I'm not going to touch on the wine today because we will have another post dedicated just to the wine, beer and sangria of Spain because it is so unique to that country! 

Cordoba

whatcordoba.com has to say about Cordoba:

"Cordoba is steeped in over 2,000 years of history – the Romans, the Visigoths, the Jews, the Moors and then the Spanish all left their distinct imprint on Cordoba, making it one of the most mesmerizing and interesting cities in Spain.

Cordoba started as an Iberian settlement in 169 B.C., providing it with a mix of Carthaginian, Greek and Punic influences. Evidence of the Iberian presence – cups, sculptures and other everyday items can be found at the Archeological Museum.

The Roman governor Claudius Marcelus developed this into a city, most probably because of its strategic location on the Guadalquivir River. Under Pax Romana, it blossomed into a port city of great importance. Agriculture, mining and the olive trade thrived at this time. At present, vestiges of the Roman presence can be seen in structures such as the El Puente Romano, the bridge which spans the Guadalquivir River, the Roman Theater, Roman Walls, Aqueduct and other structures.

Cordoba reached the height of its glory under the rule of the Moors, who wrested Cordoba from the hands of the Romans in 711. Cordoba was proclaimed an emirate under the rule of the Damascus caliphate. In 756, Abd al-Rahman I rose to power and declared Cordoba independent of Damascus. It was in this era that Cordoba started to emerge as the biggest and greatest city in the world.

Indeed, by the 10th century, Cordoba reached its very peak. Under Cordoba’s three great rulers, Abd-ar-Rahman III, al-Hakam II and Ia-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir (also known as Almansor), Cordoba became the center of education, economy and culture. Cordoba enjoyed prominence and majesty that was unequaled in all of Europe. It was the largest city in Europe, with its population reaching one million. It was also the first city to have lighted streets and indoor plumbing. The number of lavish baths reached to the hundreds.

It was also during this time that the Jews enjoyed Cordoba’s eminence, living in Al-Andalus for almost four hundred years. The Jews established their community at the southwest of the city during the middle ages. In turn, the Jewish community gifted Cordoba and the world with Moises Maimonides and perhaps one of the most fascinating parts of the Historic Quarter of Cordoba today. Indeed, Muslim, Jewish and Christian cultures peacefully coexisted during the enlightened rule of Al-Andalus.

However, the Almoravids (Berbers from North Africa) attacked and overthrew the Moors. This began the decline of Cordoba. Its once formidable political structure collapsed, making it vulnerable to outside attacks.

The Requenquista (Reconquering) campaign waged by Spain ended the era of the Moors. In 1236, Cordoba fell into the hands of the Catholic Kings, particularly Ferdinand III. Ferdinand III entered the city and gained control of it. He ordered the construction of the cathedral at the very center of the Mezquita. In different parts of the city, there was a flurry of construction activities – most of the cathedrals and monasteries built during this time still stand today.

Cordoba’s illustrious, although tumultuous, past greatly shaped its history. It is what makes it the fascinating city that it is today. Its former glory can be seen virtually anywhere! And even today, Cordoba’s contribution to science, the arts and culture remains very much alive. The spirit of the Cordobans attest to this. The Cordobans are living reflections of its history – fiery, enlightened and filled with hope and greatness."

whatihavetosay: 

You need to visit as much places as you can while you are in Spain. A short bus ride, train ride or even a walk

 will take you on some of the best adventures you will ever have! Grab a map, a good pair of walking shoes, a 

cell phone-if you have one-and set out on your journey. The best advice I can give to anyone wanting to learn 

about the city that they are visiting is: to walk everywhere. You get to know the people, the streets and the 

essence of the town better than any taxi ride could ever reveal. Plus, you can eat whatever you like (within limits) and still be able to keep in shape while traveling overseas. Recap. Map. Shoes. Walk. Go! 

Seville

This city in Spain holds a special place in my heart. It will be the home of my internship this summer. I cannot wait to be back in Spain!!! The following is a brief history of Seville from aboutseville.com: 

"Seville is located in the South of Spain. A provincial capital, seat of the government and parliament of the Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía (Regional Government). It has more than 700,000 inhabitants, nearly half the population of the whole province. The city of Seville is located on the plain of the Guadalquivir river which crosses the city from North to South. The river can be navigated from Seville all the way to its outlet near Sanlúcar de Barrameda, on the Atlantic coast. In the past the port of Seville played an important role in commerce between Spain and the Americas and it remains today one of the most active river ports of the Iberian peninsula.

The Tartessians were the original founders of Hispalis. Next to this settlement, in 207 B.C., the Romans built Itálica. It was the centre of their Western Mediterranean dominions for seven centuries until the Roman empire was overrun by Northern barbarians at the beginning of the 10th century. The long Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsula, from 711 A.D. to 1248 A.D., left indelible traces in Seville as in all of Al-Andalus. La Giralda, the tower of an important mosque, is the most well-known of the remaining Islamic monuments. In 1492 Seville played an important role in the discovery and conquest of America. The 17th century was a period of artistic splendour in Seville. Painters such as Velázquez, Murillo and Valdés Leal, and sculptors like Martínez Montañés were born in Seville and left behind important works. The city also assumed an important role in world literature and was the birthplace of the myth of Don Juan. On two occasions in the 20th century Seville has been in the spotlight of the world's attention. In 1929, it hosted the Latin American Exhibition, which left important urban improvements in the city. More recently, Expo 92 reinforced the image of Seville as a modern and dynamic city.

Don't miss out on the tapas. The city is credited with the invention and has more than a thousand bars where the choice of food, is virtually unlimited, from seafood to ham and sausage and from vegetable to cheese. The Sevillians actually make a meal of. them, moving from bar to bar and trying one dish at a time."

Tapas are probably one of the best things you will encounter in Spain beside the beautiful sights, gorgeous men (or for you guys, the women) and not to mention the divine wine! One of the blogs to come will be all about Spanish Cuisine and I will definitely touch on the art of tapas. :) 

Religion

Religion varies all around the world. Whether you are in the far east or in the west, many countries believe in various things. However, when you venture into Spain, you find one of three things:

1. 59% of Spanish citizens say that "they believe there is a God"

2. 21% say that "they believe there is some sort or spirit or life force"

3. 18% say "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force"

According to Kwintessential, the following is a short summary of the main religion Catholicism, the decline of Catholicism into a more secular country and the influence of Muslims in Spain. 

Catholic religion in Spain

The religion of the majority of the population of Spain is Catholicism. The Catholic religion in Spain has strong roots spanning centuries and is still present in Spain today. The head quarters of the church of the Catholic religion in Spain today are in the Spanish city of Toledo. From here, the Spanish Catholic Church continues to pronounce religious edicts on matters not confined to religion, but often society. Because the government of Spain is now a secular one, it can no longer be said that the catholic religion is the official religion of Spain; however, the church of this religion still receives special treatment in Spain. Among the privileges meted out to the Catholic religion in Spain is the fact that it is the only religion in Spain that still receives some official state funding from the government.

Decline in power of the Catholic religion in Spain

Like the rest of Europe, Spain is now largely a secular country which means that inevitably religion in general, and the catholic religion in particular has lost power in Spain. There seems to be a confrontation taking place between the guardians of the Catholic religion in Spain and the Spanish government. The Spanish government in recent years has forwarded moves to legalise same gender marriage and promote abortion, both of which are strictly forbidden according to the Catholic religion and go against traditional Spanish culture. The Church has in turn responded by asking professionals such as doctors and lawyers who are adherents to the Catholic religion not to become involved in divorce cases or abortion practices in Spain.

The Muslim religion in Spain

The Muslim religion reigned supreme in Spain for four hundred years bringing with it great advances in civilization. When the Muslim religion was the official religion of the ruling class in Spain, a policy of freedom of religion was implemented in Spain which allowed, among other things, followers of the Jewish religion to flourish in Spain. The legacy of the Muslim religion’s presence in Spain is still visible in the gardens and palaces of Cordoba built during that era; however, upon the Catholic conquest of Spain adherents to the Muslim religion were either forced to convert to Christianity or leave Spain. This means that in modern Spain there are no indigenous Spanish followers of the Muslim religion (apart from recent converts to the Muslim religion). There are, however, over half a million followers of the Muslim religion in Spain today, most of whom are recent immigrants to Spain who originally come from Morocco.

The Language

"Spanish is, after Mandarin Chinese and English, the third most spoken language in the world, with an estimated 400.000.000 of native speakers throughout the planet. Its origins, however, are much more reduced, both geographically and numerically.

Together with other initially European languages such as Portuguese, French or Italian, the linguistic roots of Spanish make it a Romance language. This means that Latin, or more specifically, Vulgar Latin, constitutes its most important linguistic base.

The constant contact and mutual influence of the Latin basis with other linguistic traditions and cultures has led to the formation of the different Romance languages as we know them today. In the case of Spanish, there are, for example, characteristics that come from the Iberian and Celtic traditions.

There is also a great amount of Greek vocabulary that was first adopted by Latin speakers and then brought into Spanish. Words such as “escuela” (school) or “huérfano” (orphan) all belong to this tradition. And we should not forget the seven centuries of Arab domination of the peninsula. This has left, among other things, an important legacy of lexical elements that have been incorporated into the Spanish language. A surname you probably know which exemplifies this is “Almodóvar”.

Spanish is, especially in the bilingual territories of Spain, also known as castellano (Castilian), because of its origins in the region of Castilla. Castilla is situated in the north-central part of Spain, and it was once the neuralgic center of the Spanish empire that would take the Spanish language to more than twenty other countries.

The establishment of a linguistic unity of Spanish as a common language for the state of Spain was parallel to its territorial unity. This union was only possible after the Reconquest of the peninsula from the Arab settlers, at the end of the 15th century. The kingdom of Castilla, and also its linguistic variety, expanded to the practical totality of the Iberian Peninsula. After the marriage of Isabel I of Castilla and Fernando II of Aragón, the Spanish state was born, and Castilian language and culture became its most dominant identity. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, through a series of linguistic evolutions and normalizing changes, the language of the Spanish state became what is nowadays known as Modern Spanish.

It is important to remember, however, that spoken Spanish is not identical in the different regions of the Spanish state. In fact, its pronunciation and lexical characteristics can vary to a very significant extent from one place to another. However, the maintenance of a unified, standard, version of the Spanish language and of its written form is guaranteed by the Real Academia de la Lengua Española. The Academia sets the rules to follow in order to speak and write in a way that is accepted by all the different Spanish speakers."

                                                               - The Babylon Idiomas Blog

Food for Thought:

"Buenos dias" (Good morning) is used in the morning until lunchtime, and "Buenos tardes" (Good afternoon) from lunchtime until dark. You can greet people with "Hola" (Hi) or "Que Tal" (How are you?) any time of the day. 

Greetings vary according to how well you know someone. It's polite to shake hands, both when you meet and say good-bye. Good friends sometimes give each other a hug, and women kiss each other on the cheek. 

Did you know? There are four forms for "you" (taking different verb forms): tu (informal/singular) and vosotros/ vosotras (informal/ plural: only used in Spain) are used for relatives, children, close friends and between young people. Latin American countries use ustedes to address more than one person formally or informally; usted is the formal singular form of ustedes. 

Map of Spain & Merida

From Toledo, we move our way down to the western part of Spain to the city of Merida. Merida was one of the most famous Roman capitols of the Iberian Peninsula, and features some of the best preserved Roman ruins in Europe. This city was held to be the traditional boundary between Moorish and Christian Spain. Merida was passed between Christian, Moorish, and even Portuguese control. It is a beautiful city to walk through and resembles her conquerers very much. Many say it is a smaller Rome and combined with the Moorish touch, it is an ancient sight one much see. 

Merida is known for six main ancient sights to see; however, the crown jewel of her Roman heritage is The Roman Theater. This landmark was build by Agrippa in 18 B.C. and can seat 6000 people. During the months of June and July, plays are often staged here. 

The next of Merida's preserved Roman sights are the Aqueducts. There is over 5 miles of aqueduct running through Merida. The most complete is found on the northwest side of town and feeds into two nearby man made lakes. It is called the Acueducto de los Milagroson. 

The Roman Bridge consists of 64 granite arches and is the longest bridge in Roman Spain. Now, you will find the bridge serving as a footbridge over the Guadiana river. A modern bridge was built behind to take the load off the ancient Roman Bridge. However, it was not until 1993 when the old bridge was decommissioned as the main entrance into town for vehicle traffic. 

Directly in the center of town, you will find the Temple of Diana. It is a rather odd looking Roman ruin that consists of many columns. During the 17th century a nobleman built an extraordinary large home inside these columns, using four of them directly as the structure of the house. 

There are incredible views from the top of the Alcazaba which is located near the Roman bridge. In 835, the Alcazaba was constructed as a Roman fort to protect the bridge and the city. 

Last but not least, one cannot miss the Museo Nacional de Arte Romano (National Museum of Roman Art). This museum opened in 1986 and provides a rather sublime display of statuary and other antiquities used by the Romans. It is located near the entrance to the theater and amphitheater.