Quiz yourself to see how much you know about Spanish culture
1.) Smoking cigarettes is very common for people in Spain. You can smoke in restaurants, on the beaches, or on the street.
2.) The Spaniards normally drink wine during comida (the big lunch meal of the day).
3.) Many Spanish people go to bed around 12 or 1 in the morning, and even later on the weekends.
4.) Spanish people go to church every Sunday and are generally religious.
5.) Spaniards usually give "dos besos" (two kisses) when greeting or saying goodbye to any friends or family.
6.) Spanish families consist of many children, an average of about 3.3.
7.) Spanish people are very affectionate and public displays of affection are part of the social norm.
8.) Tops are optional for women at all beaches.
9.) Spaniards are very animated when conversing with each other.
10.) Natives from Spain have a "lisp" when they say their Z's and sometimes their C's.
11.) Spaniards eat a huge lunch around 2pm, and then take a nap (siesta) until 5pm.
12.) Spanish people typically stay out and drink lots of alcohol until the wee hours of the morning.
13.) Spaniards generally don't like or own pets.
14.) Spanish people are very environmentally aware and conserve water/energy whenever possible.
15.) Lines in Spain are very strict and it's considered extremely rude if you cut in front of someone.
16.) Personal space is very important and if you speak or stand too closely to someone it is considered strange.
10.) Natives from Spain have a "lisp" when they say their Z's and sometimes their C's.
11.) Spaniards eat a huge lunch around 2pm, and then take a nap (siesta) until 5pm.
12.) Spanish people typically stay out and drink lots of alcohol until the wee hours of the morning.
13.) Spaniards generally don't like or own pets.
14.) Spanish people are very environmentally aware and conserve water/energy whenever possible.
15.) Lines in Spain are very strict and it's considered extremely rude if you cut in front of someone.
16.) Personal space is very important and if you speak or stand too closely to someone it is considered strange.
Answers
1.) True. Our USAC representative, Luis, told us EVERYONE smokes and my teacher also told us how common smoking is here. Even our host mom smokes, but she usually goes out on the balconies and the house doesn't smell like smoke. This has been great for getting me over my extreme dislike of people smoking, though.
2.) False. We've never had any alcohol during our comidas at our house. However, my teacher told me that sometimes they do have wine for very special occasions.
3.) True. This is partly due to the siesta during the day.
4.) False. In general, Spanish people are not very religious, especially not the young people. However, the history of Spain has a very Catholic/Christian background and therefore there are many cultural aspects that started due to religion. For example, ALL stores are closed on Sundays and people stay in their homes for the most part this day.
5.) True... kinda. The dos besos is given when men and women greet other women. However, men generally do not greet each other with dos besos... usually they do a hand grab and hug (aka "bro hug") similar to that in the US.
6.) False. My teacher told me that the average number of children in Spain is 1.3 and that many people never have children. This is quite a bit lower than the US average of 2.3ish.
7.) TRUE. This is very, very, very true. It is not uncommon to see people laying on top of each other and making out on the beach. Even walking the streets or on park benches, couples are very openly affectionate and no one stares (except for me maybe). This has been very weird for me to get used to... plus it makes me miss my boyfriend Sam :( Hope you're reading this, Sam lol :)
8.) True. At least all the beaches I've been to have been tops optional. This is a topic that I can't begin on though because who knows when I'll stop rambling about my opinions and thoughts on this subject.
9.) True. Very true, and I love it. It's actually really helpful for someone like me who has speaks and understands Spanish at a lower level. The way they use their facial expressions and body motions really helps me understand more of what they're talking about. I love our host-mom, Eva, because she fits this animated stereotype perfectly and is so fun to talk to.
10.) Yep, that's true. And in the States most professors are from Latin and South America so they teach different pronunciation than this. It's really hard for me to get the "lisp" right--either it's too much "th" or too much "ss." But I'm working on it.
11.) True. Our first day here our host-mom told us that she wanted us to come home very hungry for comida after school, so that's what we do. There is always lots of delicious food, and we rest immediately after. This practice is partly due to how freakin' hot it is during this time of day; all the stores are closed during this time of day for workers to go home with their families.
12.) False. This is what Americans, other tourists, and some young (as in teenage) Spaniards do for fun. However, in general Spaniards go out for a drink or two with close friends, sit in the outdoor seating of a restaurant, and socialize. Much more calm and in my opinion fun than the alternative.
13.) False. In our city of Alicante, it seems like EVERYONE has a dog. We can't walk more than one minute anywhere in the city without seeing a cute "perrito." Emily couldn't be any more happy about this :)
14.) True. Lights go off automatically everywhere because they are on timers (this is especially problematic in bathrooms). Also, there are recycling bins everywhere and trash gets picked up everyday.
15.) Completely False. It's the total opposite here. Line do not exist (hardly ever) and it's not considered rude at all to walk in front of someone... it's just the culture. This is sometimes frustrating as an American who particularly enjoys knowing that if I stand in a certain spot I will not have to aggressively earn my turn.
16.) False again. The personal space bubbles are much smaller than in the States, and has taken some getting used to.
Alright, well that was fun. And that's all for now. We had a long day of excursions to Altea and Calpe. I got a little burned (for the first time) on the beach of Calpe--the sun was SO hot today--but it was absolutely beautiful there. Then came home and napped because I felt exhausted. Emily and I stayed in tonight to finish our homework and rest up for tomorrow. We'll be heading to the Island of Tabarca at about 9/10am (early for a Sunday in Spain) by boat and hopefully snorkeling while we're there!
Buenas Noches,
SarahBee
2.) False. We've never had any alcohol during our comidas at our house. However, my teacher told me that sometimes they do have wine for very special occasions.
3.) True. This is partly due to the siesta during the day.
4.) False. In general, Spanish people are not very religious, especially not the young people. However, the history of Spain has a very Catholic/Christian background and therefore there are many cultural aspects that started due to religion. For example, ALL stores are closed on Sundays and people stay in their homes for the most part this day.
5.) True... kinda. The dos besos is given when men and women greet other women. However, men generally do not greet each other with dos besos... usually they do a hand grab and hug (aka "bro hug") similar to that in the US.
6.) False. My teacher told me that the average number of children in Spain is 1.3 and that many people never have children. This is quite a bit lower than the US average of 2.3ish.
7.) TRUE. This is very, very, very true. It is not uncommon to see people laying on top of each other and making out on the beach. Even walking the streets or on park benches, couples are very openly affectionate and no one stares (except for me maybe). This has been very weird for me to get used to... plus it makes me miss my boyfriend Sam :( Hope you're reading this, Sam lol :)
8.) True. At least all the beaches I've been to have been tops optional. This is a topic that I can't begin on though because who knows when I'll stop rambling about my opinions and thoughts on this subject.
9.) True. Very true, and I love it. It's actually really helpful for someone like me who has speaks and understands Spanish at a lower level. The way they use their facial expressions and body motions really helps me understand more of what they're talking about. I love our host-mom, Eva, because she fits this animated stereotype perfectly and is so fun to talk to.
10.) Yep, that's true. And in the States most professors are from Latin and South America so they teach different pronunciation than this. It's really hard for me to get the "lisp" right--either it's too much "th" or too much "ss." But I'm working on it.
11.) True. Our first day here our host-mom told us that she wanted us to come home very hungry for comida after school, so that's what we do. There is always lots of delicious food, and we rest immediately after. This practice is partly due to how freakin' hot it is during this time of day; all the stores are closed during this time of day for workers to go home with their families.
12.) False. This is what Americans, other tourists, and some young (as in teenage) Spaniards do for fun. However, in general Spaniards go out for a drink or two with close friends, sit in the outdoor seating of a restaurant, and socialize. Much more calm and in my opinion fun than the alternative.
13.) False. In our city of Alicante, it seems like EVERYONE has a dog. We can't walk more than one minute anywhere in the city without seeing a cute "perrito." Emily couldn't be any more happy about this :)
14.) True. Lights go off automatically everywhere because they are on timers (this is especially problematic in bathrooms). Also, there are recycling bins everywhere and trash gets picked up everyday.
15.) Completely False. It's the total opposite here. Line do not exist (hardly ever) and it's not considered rude at all to walk in front of someone... it's just the culture. This is sometimes frustrating as an American who particularly enjoys knowing that if I stand in a certain spot I will not have to aggressively earn my turn.
16.) False again. The personal space bubbles are much smaller than in the States, and has taken some getting used to.
Alright, well that was fun. And that's all for now. We had a long day of excursions to Altea and Calpe. I got a little burned (for the first time) on the beach of Calpe--the sun was SO hot today--but it was absolutely beautiful there. Then came home and napped because I felt exhausted. Emily and I stayed in tonight to finish our homework and rest up for tomorrow. We'll be heading to the Island of Tabarca at about 9/10am (early for a Sunday in Spain) by boat and hopefully snorkeling while we're there!
Buenas Noches,
SarahBee
this was so cool to learn! i rofl-ed at "bro hug" :)
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