Customs in Spain
There are many customs and celebrations enjoyed in Spain. However, life stands still on public holidays for most of the regions in Spain, which is something that visitors need to keep in mind. Usually the shops are closed, the transportation system becomes non-existent and events are closed. Most Sunday shopping, especially in Madrid, is open only on the first Sunday of each month. The stores like El Corte Ingles and FNAC may be open on holidays but not on Sundays and Worker’s Day, May 1.
The public holidays that are celebrated in Spain are New Year’s Day (January 1), Epiphany (January 6), Semana Santa (Easter week), Worker’s Day (May 1), Assumption of the Virgin (August 15), National Day (October 12), All Saints (November 1), Constitution Day (December 6), Immaculate Conception (December 8), and Navidad (December 24). Christmas day is not as important as Christmas Eve and many shops are open in the morning on December 25th. (more…)
April 29, 2008
Sports in Spain
In Spain, sports are a true passion and there are a variety of sports to do or to watch. This country has the mild climate and the landscape that encourages people of all ages to play sports. The mountains have the snow and the beaches are world quality for water type events. There are indoor and outdoor sports held throughout the country for people of all ages.
One of the national sports is soccer and it is called football in Spain. The soccer season is taken very seriously in this country and their National league is known all over the world. Fans are fiercely loyal to their soccer team and travel outside of the country to international soccer events to show their support. Some of the other sports are basketball, golfing, skiing, water sports, cycling and bullfighting.
Golf is gaining in popularity every season mainly because of the mild climate and the growing number of golf courses. However, Spain is known for the bullfights. (more…)
April 27, 2008
Spanish Fiestas
Spain is particularly known for its fiestas. There are some well known fiestas such as the Sanfermines in Pamplona, which is the running of the bulls, Las Fallas de San Jose, which is the fireworks, Semana Santa, Easter Week and Feria de Abril, which is the dancing and singing in Seville. However, there are some unusual festivals such as the snail festival in Lleida, a seafood festival in O’Grove and a paella festival in Sueca.
The most outstanding fiesta in Spain is the Carnival. This takes place in late February and leads up to Lent. It is an over the top party with fancy costumes and masks. During Carnival, no one seems to sleep, even the children. It is very wild and extreme, with the most raucous parties held in the Canary Islands, Cadiz and Sitges. Tenerife has the largest of all Carnivals. Cadiz is known for its musical party and in Sitges, the parades with their bold and extravagant costumes are the main attraction. (more…)
April 23, 2008
Music of Spain
The people of Spain have been influenced by a variety of cultures. In turn, the various cultures have provided an influence on Spanish music. This cultural diversity has been the foundation that supported the development of Spanish music and the effects have influenced the type of instruments and the dance for each period of history. This is why Spanish music has different regional characteristics and yet has a strong similarity.
In early times, the chants and religious music of the churches formed the bases for the music, but the medieval songs brought a change to this art. As history evolved the basic music changed also. In the 16th century, the guitar was introduced and became the backbone for the different types music to follow, such as opera, folk and popular music. The northern areas of Galicia and Asturia have the wonderful lively music created by the bagpipes, called the Gaita. This music can be moody as well. The bagpipes create high-varied sounds that accompany the chant-based songs found in these northern regions. (more…)
April 17, 2008
Famous People from Spain
Spain has many well known and famous individuals in the arts, sports, TV and film worlds, as well as various other fields of study. Many historically significant artists have either come from Spain or have studied with the Masters within the country. A brief list of the most famous people from Spain and their accomplishments include:
- Antonio Banderas – born in Andalucia in 1960, Antonio Banderas quickly became a household name through his Oscar winning acting in a variety of films. He is perhaps best known in America for his roles in movies such as the Zorro movies, Spy Kids, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, The 13th Warrior and Desperado. He has recently been heard as the voice of Puss in Boots in the Shrek movies.
- Penelope Cruz – born in 1974 this actress and model and television star is from Madrid and is famous the world over. She has started in such movies as Gothika, Sahara, Woman on Top and Volver. In addition she has won awards for her performances both in English and Spanish speaking productions. (more…)
April 9, 2008
Spanish Culture
Spain is well known for its cultural diversity as well as its historical acceptance of various cultures within the cities and rural areas. Many of the ancient cities in Spain are designated World Heritage Sites simply because they had communities of Muslims, Jewish and Christian inhabitants all living together in peace.
There are several different regions in Spain that adhere very strongly to specific languages and cultural practices within these regions. Some of the most well known of these regional areas include the Basque region, Anadalusia, Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands. Each of these regions identify themselves very strongly as individual regions but within the larger country of Spain. Regional foods and even dialects are most common within these areas and special festivals, events, foods, wines and even traditions will clearly identify them. (more…)
March 27, 2008
Clothing in Spain
As with most developed countries that have strong historic ties to the designers of Europe and the clothing manufacturers worldwide there is a wide range of clothing styles in Spain. In most cases people tend to dress more formally than is often seen in American cities, with typical business dress for men being a suit and tie and for women dresses or suits as the general fashion trend. Casual dress is seen as well, but typically even casual dress in the country is more “dressy” than may be seen in other areas.
Some of the cities and areas of Spain have very formal and traditional dress that is most commonly used for festivals and events that are traditions in the city. One of the costumes most famous in Spain is the Flamenco dance costume. For women this is a dramatic dress that is typically red, black or white and may be a long gown type dress or shorter mid length dress. The skirt has a border of ruffles in several layers up the skirt, providing dramatic movement the bottom of the dress. The dress tends to fit the body very closely providing a streamlined figure when viewed from any angle. (more…)
March 24, 2008
Shopping in Spain
There is very little chance that you will not be able to find whatever you may be shopping for in the larger centers in Spain. Unlike many areas where shopping is limited to only certain areas in the cities, Spanish cities tend to have plazas scattered throughout the city that provide endless shopping opportunities. Some cities are more known for specific types of handicrafts and items, but generally a larger center will have representations of most Spanish and international items in stores.
One of the many differences in shopping in Spain as compared to other cities is that there is wide variety of different types of stores. Open markets offer fresh produce, meats, cheeses, wines and olive oils, many of which are produced on very small local farms. These same products are likely not available through stores. Side street stalls or individuals stalls on the squares or plazas are often the best place to find real deals, just like in the flea markets and open markets haggling is considered to be appropriate with these types of purchases. It is important to be aware of frauds and replicas however as not all of these merchants will be above board. (more…)
March 9, 2008
Spanish Wine
As with most of the European countries, Spain is known for producing wonderful red and white wines, depending on the area in which you are traveling. Many of the larger vineyards also export wines to other countries and Spanish wines can be found in most countries. The most popular Spanish wines for export are the white wines from the Rueda and Penedes areas, the reds from the Ribera del Duero and the Rioja areas and the famous sherry produced in Jerez. In addition to the wine and sherry produced in Spain, there is also a sparkling wine called Cava that is produced and consumed within the country.
Wines in Spain are controlled by the Instituto Nacional de Denominaciones de Origen or the INDO. The INDO provides a Demominación de Origen for each wine produced that provides quality control as well as provides records of the different types and varieties of wines produced and exported from various areas within the country. (more…)
February 20, 2008
Spain: Interesting Facts
Spain is a country that has a fascinating and complex history. In addition to just its history, there are a number of interesting facts about Spain that can make traveling the country more satisfying for visitors. Some of the most unique facts about Spain include:
- The two climate zones of Spain are divided by the Cantabrian Mountains. The northern division is wetter, colder and rainier and the southern half tends to be dryer and hotter.
- It is still traditional for shops in smaller cities and towns to close down for the afternoon but to open from 9 am until 8 pm to allow shoppers lots of time outside of the hot afternoons to get their shopping completed.
- Tapas are the traditional way to enjoy some light snacks, some great wines and good company. Tapas are usually sold on an honor system with the patron choosing what he or she wants and then letting the staff know how much to bill. (more…)