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SPANISH HABITS

My Spanish habits that foreigners just don’t get

Do the Spanish have certain habits you just can't work out? Here Spanish author Alberto Letona lists a number of typical national traits or customs that leave his foreign friends bemused...or if queuing is involved, even enraged.

Published: 27 February 2018 16:44 CET
Updated: 10 April 2022 09:05 CEST
My Spanish habits that foreigners just don't get
Spaniards like to pace along the beach. Esparta Palma / Flickr

1. We are very noisy


Photo: SETShots / Flickr

Noise is everywhere in Spain whether in restaurants, on the buses, or at the beach. In bars the TV is often on, even if people aren’t watching. This makes conversations louder and the Spanish difficult to understand, for non-native and natives alike.

The latter are more resourceful; They will raise their voice even louder to be heard.  

.2. We go to bed late


Photo: Bark / Flickr 

Staying up late is part of daily life in Spain. At home it is not unusual to have dinner at ten and if you go to a restaurant, you’ll find it difficult to get a table before 9pm. At weekends we don’t start going out until at least 9pm and the night can be very long. Work is mañana.

3. We kit ourselves out for sport


Photo: The Pug Father/Flickr 

Dressing in the correct way to take exercise is a rule for the locals. So much so that you’d be forgiven for thinking you were at the Vuelta de España with professional cyclists when you use Spanish roads on the weekends. Don’t blow your horn at them, they would not take it graciously.

4. We like to be in a crowd (in pre-Covid times)


Photo: Allen Skyy/Flickr

The Spaniards are very gregarious. We all go out for a stroll at the same time and usually to the same places. Sometimes with friends, and other times with family, but very rarely alone.

5. We like to party…a lot


Photo: Cesar Manso/AFP

The summer fiestas of every village in Spain are a kind of social event that you cannot miss. This is the place to see and be seen. The younger ones enjoy their first drinks in life, and their parents are most likely enjoying themselves preparing traditional dishes with their friends.

6. We are a contradiction in terms


Photo: AFP

Liberal-minded but conservative in their life style is a description that fits many Spaniards. Even the most politically left wing citizens are ready to take part as a pious believer in the religious processions at Easter. 

7. We pace up and down the beach


Photo: Esparta Palma/Flickr

Pacing up and down the seashore is a favourite pastime for anyone over thirty. Sometimes the beaches get so crowded with people marching back and forth that it is difficult to imagine this activity as a pleasurable stroll. But we do it anyway. 

8. We all want to work in the public sector


Photo: tec_estromberg / flickr

Being a “funcionario” (civil servant) is a very sought after and carefully planned occupation for many. A job for life is often a source for admiration or envy among the different social classes in Spain.

9. We abandon our offices en masse at 11am


Photo: Alda Chou

Mid-morning is the time when everybody working in an office walks out to have a long coffee break in the bar with their colleagues. This is the moment to talk about the trials and tribulations of domestic life. Sometimes if the conversation is very engaging the break can go on a long time.

10. We don’t do queuing


Photo: Garry Knight/Flickr 

Jumping the queue is a national trait. Very few people respect queues in this country. If you are catching a bus, please be aware of old ladies. They are sometimes the most pushy and will try to go first, even if they know that you have been waiting longer.

Alberto Letona is the author of Hijos e Hijas de la Gran Bretaña – Sons and Daughters of Great Britain – in which he delves into the psyche of the British in an attempt to explain them to his own countrymen. 

Read more on his opinions of the British

For members

LIFE IN SPAIN

What’s closed and what stays open during August in Spain?

It’s common knowledge that Spain goes on holiday in August, city centres empty out as everyone heads for the slightly cooler coastal or mountainous areas, but which businesses close completely and which will continue open?

Published: 24 July 2024 09:42 CEST
What's closed and what stays open during August in Spain?

Before the pandemic, Spain’s biggest cities lost up to 80 percent of their population over the summer, and it’s gradually heading that way again.

This means far fewer locals in Spanish cities over August, although many are replaced by tourists. 

Around 18 percent of businesses in Spain close during August according to Madrid-based business management consultant Grant Thornton. 

That means that almost one in five businesses shut their doors and shut up for the month or at least part of the month

Some believe it’s a risk to close for so long, but the truth is that the turnover of many businesses decreases enormously during August, falling by up to 50 percent, according to the Spanish Stock Exchanges and Markets (BME).

So, in some situations it may not be worth it financially to stay open.

And there’s also the undeniable fact that Spaniards tend to place a lot of importance on time off from work, apart from the average 30 days of paid holiday leave they get.

Oh, and we can’t forget that it’s absolutely suffocating in August across much of the country, not exactly ideal conditions to work in.

So what will be open and what will close in August 2024?

Generally speaking, larger business and chains or franchises will stay open, while smaller independent ones may close.

The location of a business will also affect whether it stays open in August or not. More often than not, businesses in tourist-heavy areas will continue operating, while ones in outer lying neighbourhoods will shut up shop.

Businesses in in-land towns and cities are also more likely to close than ones on the coast that generally experience busy Augusts.

Reduced hours

It’s worth nothing that those businesses that do stay open may operate reduced hours or close early. 

Some companies implement what’s known as jornada intensiva or intensive work days. This is when they work uninterrupted, without a break for lunch, but get to leave work early.  This means typically these businesses would operate from 8am to 3pm or from 8:30am to 3:30pm during the summer. However, jornada intensiva usually applies to office workers and others who don’t work for an establishment that’s open to the public. 

READ ALSO: Do I have to take most of my annual leave in August in Spain?

Implications for tourists 

If you’re a tourist, these closures won’t typically affect you too much. Popular restaurants, attractions, museums and hotels will mostly be operating as usual.

If you’re visiting small towns and villages or establishments off-the-beaten path in big cities, you may find some places to be closed, however. Some museums in small towns may also have reduced operating hours.

Implications for residents

But if you’re a resident in Spain, you may find August to be slightly frustrating, particularly if you’re staying in the big city while seemingly everyone else heads to the coast.

Forget about home renovations during August as it will very difficult to find contractors and trades professionals to do any work. And on that note, let’s hope that nothing breaks that needs urgent fixing. Big insurance companies will still be operating, however, and should be able to find someone to come out to you in an emergency.

Doing any admin or dealing with Spanish bureaucracy during August can be difficult too. Need to renew a residency card, apply for a driver’s licence or register for your padrón certificate? You may want to hurry up and get it done before August arrives or wait until September as many of these public offices will have reduced personnel or maybe not be open.

Your favourite neighbourhood café may also close and you’ll have to find somewhere else for your morning coffee during August.

You’ll usually know that a small family-run establishment will close because they’ll place a notice in their window – stating they will close from this date to this date or ‘back on September 1st’ for example.

Big pharmacies and healthcare facilities will generally stay are open, but you may find some local smaller pharmacies will close and there may be fewer doctor’s appointments available. Your regular GP may be away, so you may have to see alternative doctors if need be.

Public holiday mid-August

It’s worth noting that Tuesday August 15th is a public holiday in Spain, meaning that more businesses, as well as most supermarkets will be closed that day too.

August 15th, is an important date in the Spanish calendar, not only because it’s a public holiday but because it’s a day to celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin, which according to Christians, commemorates the day the Virgin Mary entered heaven. This will be honoured with church masses across the country. 

Many people across Spain will also be taking advantage of the puente as it is called in Spanish or bridge, getting away for the long weekend and may have Friday the 16th as a holiday too. 

READ ALSO: Why Tuesday August 15th is a public holiday in Spain

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