Iberian Cultural Practices

Siesta Time!

By Victoria DeLaRosa

One of the most unique cultural practices I observed during my time in Portugal and in Spain was the idea of “siestas” by definition that is, an afternoon rest or nap, especially one taken during the hottest hours of the day in a hot climate. This truly shows the perspective of the Europeans because they take time to rest, recoup, and enjoy their moments throughout the day instead of just always being on the go or stressing on the next task needed to be done. What is the most shocking to be is how siestas are possible to accomplish, even though they are known for being around 30 minutes it is hard for us in the American society to understand how there is the time to take a nap everyday or frequently when most people work midday to afternoon when this takes place. I do believe that in America we do have our own idea of this practice and we do participate in similar time spent resting throughout our days however I do feel that in Europe you see a lot of people comfortably outside, reading, resting, laying in grass. This is something I noticed in about all the cities we went to visit and I felt that it was something that could benefit anyone with a busy schedule. It makes me realize that there should be more time spent throughout our days to freeze and take a break on whatever tasks being attempted to tackle for the day. Why overwork when you can just “Siesta”!? In the photo above was a shot I got of the view when we visited Lisbon. There were people laying out in the grass and just relaxing in the sun. this is something I witnessed a lot of places during our time in both Spain and Portugal.

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Saludos y Besos

By Liz Mercado

While in Madrid, we visited La Puerta de Sol, one of the public squares in the city, filled with shopping and restaurants. While we were walking around the square, I saw a group of people meeting up. The women greeted the men and each other by kissing both cheeks as they were saying hello. I thought that this is an interesting way to greet people, or to say goodbye, and this social practice is not commonly practiced in the United States. After seeing this traditional European social practice in effect, I felt intrigued, and wanted to learn more about why kissing someone on both cheeks is a common practice in Spain, as well as in other European countries like Portugal. While reading about this tradition, I learned that on formal occasions, people greet each other by shaking hands, but kiss each other twice on the cheek during a less formal occasion. This social practice is different than the how we greet people in the US. In the United States, whenever we greet someone we know well, we usually hug them when they are arriving, and kiss them once on the cheek when they are leaving. While I was researching this social practice, I learned that women greet other women and men by kissing them on the cheek, but men shake each other’s hand, unless they are related to each other. I also learned that practice is not done every time, but rather when people are introduced to someone new, or are meeting with people that they know very well.

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This is NOT America

By Ashley Lyons

While in Seville and Madrid, you notice the different social practices everywhere. The one that stuck out to me the most were the meal times and how people act in the restaurants. If you miss the narrow eating times, you can end up eating on your own. The Spanish way of eating breakfast is completely different from what we do here in America. Here we are told to make breakfast your heaviest meal as it is brain fuel and energy for the start of your day. I’m used to eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, etc., all in one sitting. In Spain, they do a light breakfast that will start around 7 am. There’s a lot of fresh fruit, pastries, bread, and meat. Not the heavy thick cut bacon and sausage, but thinly cut salami and ham.

They eat lunch later in the day around 2-4 pm. Which is typically late in America because we’re getting ready for dinner shortly after that. Dinner tapas aren’t typically enjoyed until 9 pm, but a full sit down dinner isn’t until 10 pm. We’re told here not to eat that late, especially if you’re trying to do more of a healthy lifestyle of eating. Eating that late is almost forbidden.

The tipping etiquette also takes some getting used to. In Spain, they do not expect you to leave a tip. Spanish workers are actually given living wages and benefits that they can live off of, so the tips aren’t necessary. If you do leave a tip, they still seem to be very grateful. I agree with Spain’s way of paying their employees in this field. I never understood how in America waiters get paid way under minimum wage and have to depend on tips. A lot of people aren’t even courteous enough to leave the suggested amount, and having to live on a weekly basis not knowing what you will make is a struggle. I think Spain is on to something! People should be paid what they deserve and be able to make a career out of serving people because I feel it takes a special type of person to do so.