Spain: Facts & Stats

CULTURE

Traditions:

Familiarity is a hallmark of Spanish life. Handshaking and kissing on the cheek is the usual form of greeting. Old-fashioned courtliness and formal manners are, however, still a custom in rural areas. Great store is set by personal loyalty and friendship, but it is also very important to take account of a Spaniard’s personal sense of honour and pride, which is easily offended. Initially an advertising logo and how a national sense of pride, is symbolised by the black bull. It can be seen everywhere, as a gigantic shape next to a road or as a car sticker.

One important character to be relied upon is the Spaniard’s readiness to communicate. Compare the discreet silence of a group of English people who do not know each other to the friendly chatter which quickly develops among a similar group of Spanish people. A good deal of social life is maintained en la calle (in the street) or any public place. Bars are particularly important. Spaniards generally enjoy conversation, invariably loud, where everyone seems to talk at once and the excited babble of noise has the ability to penetrate both bricks and mortar.

Celebrations:

DAY OF THE THREE KINGS (January 6th)
Christmas for children in Spain falls on the 6th of January, twelve days after Christmas Day, with the coming of the Three Kings. Children place their socks outside for the Kings to deliver them presents, but only if they have been good. Naughty children have the fear of finding black coal in their socks instead of presents. On the eve of January 6th, it is tradition for three men to dress as the Kings and ride around the town in a colourful procession, scattering sweets to all the children who eagerly follow.

SEMANA SANTA HOLY WEEK (March - April)
Semana Santa is a very religious time for many people in Spain and in all the cities both large and small, processions of hooded penitents carrying religious icons of Jesus and Mary held high, are paraded solemnly throughout the streets. It is a truly emotional and colourful experience for the participants and the many thousands of people who come to watch the procession well into the night.

LABOUR DAY (March 1st)
Dia del Trabajo is celebrated as a national holiday throughout Spain.

MONTH OF FERIAS (April)
April is the month of exuberant ferias in Andalucia, with Seville holding what is considered to be the biggest and best in Spain. The festivals last up to two weeks with colourful processions held in traditional costume, bullfights, firework displays, flamenco shows and partying well into the early hours.

SAN JUAN (June 24th)
San Juan is celebrated throughout Spain and particularly in the costal regions with bonfires on the beaches that last all night on the 23rd. It is tradition to rush into the sea at midnight to wash away your sins, symbolising the baptism of Saint John the Baptist. It is the one time when camping is allowed on many beaches, and celebrations typically last all weekend with loud music, fireworks and a lot of noise.

SAN ISIDRO (May / June)
Each city celebrates this fantastic festival differently. Typical Spanish events will involve processions, bullfights, concerts, funfairs and spectacular processions of horses and decorated carts throughout the city. Traditional costumes are normally worn with sweets and local drinks handed out to the many locals and tourists who follow the procession and join in the merriment. This is a great party atmosphere that lasts 2-3 days. In Nerja on the Costa del Sol, the procession leaves the centre of the town and heads towards the famous Nerja Caves, one of the most visited holiday attractions in Spain.

CORPUS CHRISTI (June)
Many large cities hold magnificent processions to celebrate the body of Christ in the holy water by bearing the consecrated host through the streets. This is a solemn and religious festival of great importance to many Spanish people.

ASUNCION (August 15th)
Catholics observe this feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrating Mary's body being taken to Heaven after her death.

FERIA DE MALAGA (August)
Festival held in the city of Malaga on the Costa del Sol. The festival lasts 10 days and includes a huge number of fairground rides, processions of horses, stalls selling food and wine, and spectacular firework displays on the first and final night.

ALL SAINTS DAY (November 1st)
Relatives spend the day at the graves of their loved ones, to remember them, and adorn them with beautiful flowers.

CONSTITUTION DAY (December 6th)
National holiday throughout Spain in commemoration of the 6th December 1978 when the Spanish people voted in a national referendum to approve the draft constitution, thus providing the way forward for the creation of a democratic system in Spain.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION (December 8th)
On the Roman Catholic Church calendar of holy days, today is celebrated as a holy day of obligation, commemorating the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

CHRISTMAS DAY (December 25th)
Christmas Day is a national holiday in Spain, but there is not the huge commercial occasion here as celebrated in other western cities. Children may receive a small gift on Christmas Eve (Nochebuena), as the day for presents is 6th January, Epiphany, when the Three Kings come bearing gifts.

DIA DE LOS SANTOS INNOCENTS (December 28th)
Similar to April Fools Day that falls on April 1st in England, this is an opportunity for people to play practical jokes on friends and generally get away with doing silly things.

Alcohol:

The official drinking age in Spain is 18 years old, but it does not matter.

Like other European countries, this law is not very well enforced. In addition, the region of Castile supposedly lowered its drinking age to 16.

Sports and Hobbies:

Sport in Spain has been dominated by football since the early 20th century. Basketball, tennis, cycling, handball, motorcycling and, lately, Formula One are also important due to presence of Spanish champions in all these disciplines. Today, Spain is a major world sports power, especially since the 1992 Summer Olympics that were hosted in Barcelona and promoted a great variety of sports in the country. The tourism industry has led to an improvement in sports infrastructure, especially for water sports, golf and skiing.

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