National features of the etiquette of Spain. A few tips on how to behave in Spain National features of business communication in Spain
Spain is a country of color, contrasts, unique culture, live music and warm hearts. The temperament of the locals has long been a legend among tourists from all over the world, and local laws only surprise those who are here for the first time. However, there are many things you need to know about Spaniards and Spain before you even get to the birthplace of bullfighting.
Many rules in Spain, including the rules of conduct, are unspoken, but they are strictly observed by the locals from an unconscious age. In order not to get into an awkward position, or even worse - get a fine or a reprimand from the police - you should know some rules of conduct in the cities and resort areas of Spain.
You can not appear on the street in swimsuits or with a naked torso
Break the dress code in the city
The Spaniards, unlike the prim French or Italians, rarely set rules for wearing specific clothes in cities, but one such rule is invariable - by no means. you can not appear on the street in bathing suits or bare-chested. Even if your hotel is within walking distance of the beach, you must change into your casual clothes when leaving the shore. Violation of this rule will result in a fine up to 300 euros.
criticize the king
A topic that is better not to touch when talking with Spaniards will be politics. The majority of the population is genetically programmed to demonstrate love for the king and the current government, even if their personal attitude towards the current policy is not at all positive. To speak badly, by the way, is impossible not only about the current ruler of Spain, but also about all the leaders of the Spanish people who preceded him.
Violate traffic rules
In general, this is a relevant rule for all countries, but in Spain, since 2010, fines for such a violation began to grow annually. For crossing the road in the wrong place, you can get a receipt for payment 200 euros. Tougher laws apply to cyclists - you can ride a two-wheeled horse on Spanish roads only with a helmet, its absence will cost the violator 500 Euro.
You can't argue about football
Argue about football and old age
The issue of old age and death is a cornerstone topic in Spain. And if the thought of an imminent end causes superstitious horror, then treat even the elderly as weak old people here categorically impossible. A real Spaniard, even at 70 years old, will demand to be called a "young man." The topic of football should not be raised at all - this is a sacred topic for many Spaniards, and any passer-by can turn out to be a zealous fan of one particular club.
Drink alcohol in the wrong place
Since 2013, the strictest law has been introduced in Spain, restricting the activities of bars and those who come to them. Now, even for drinking beer near the entrance to the bar, you can get a fine up to 1000 euros. The same applies to any other alcoholic drink, regardless of the proximity of the institution - you can drink alcohol in Spain only in specially designated places. By the way, this rule also applies to hotels, if there is no mini-bar in the room, then you will have to go to the nearest restaurant or cafe.
Do not drink alcohol in the wrong place
Ignore greeting
Politeness is rule number 1 for tourists in any country, but in Spain it is customary not just to greet a person when you meet - you need to do it loud and clear- this shows respect and disposition towards a person. Residents of provincial cities can also enclose even an unfamiliar person in a strong hug - there is no need to be afraid of this so as not to offend the interlocutor. You need to say goodbye even to the staff of bars and cafes - just say: “ hasta luego!", so as not to pass for a visiting rude.
Trying to sneak onto the beach at night
Since the 1990s, throughout the coastal regions of Spain, a law has been passed on no night swimming. This was done for the safety of the vacationers themselves, as the number of drowned tourists began to grow at an alarming rate. The second reason is the frequent gatherings of the homeless, leaving behind piles of garbage and causing a lot of trouble to the local authorities. The third reason is the most piquant - tourists too often began to have sex on the beaches, which, of course, cannot be done in God-fearing Spain.
Night swimming banned in Spain
Break the daily routine
This rule is not only about fiesta when most establishments in Spain close for the afternoon break. In most cities in Spain, the population remains believers who observe not only fasts, but also routines in the church. For example, in Barcelona on Sunday it is better to come to church and serve the service, which will begin with the obligatory communion.
Littering in a public place
Another immutable rule, which, nevertheless, is regularly violated by tourists. Garbage is a real scourge of the Spanish streets, and at the height of the tourist season, some neighborhoods can turn into natural dumps. To avoid this, a system of fines for inaccurately thrown chewing gum and candy wrappers was introduced. This also applies to smoking, especially on the beaches. Penalties for such violations reach 700 euro, and there is a good chance that over time they will only grow.
Spaniards are regularly late
Be too punctual
When meeting with the Spaniards, you need to remember - they are regularly late. Punctuality here cannot be called a national character trait, so 15-minute etiquette delays are considered the norm in Spain. In fact, if you have an appointment with someone from the locals, you should prepare for being late for half an hour or even 45 minutes. If even after this time no one came - be sure - your person simply forgot about the meeting.
Bring food to the hotel room
This rule applies not only to the room itself, but also to the hotel building. Even inexpensive hotels have on-site or nearby places where you can have lunch or dinner, plus, for most hotels, this is commercially unprofitable. As for etiquette, in no restaurant in Spain you can ask to wrap leftover food with you.
Spain, a country of hot, temperamental southerners, is interesting for its culture and identity, but no less interesting are the rules of conduct in this country, the peculiarities of their etiquette.
The polite "you" to a new acquaintance ends after the people have been introduced to each other. know the name? Now you are on "you". The respectful treatment "don" and "donna" is used only in relation to academics, lawyers and generally people with higher education, at the time of their professional activities.
In everyday life, the process of meeting the Spaniards is long and stormy. In this sunny country, when people meet, they not only shake hands, but kiss each other on both cheeks. Imagine how a large family meeting goes on weekends.
The behavior of the Spaniards in the queues is indicative. Noisy and temperamental people do not recognize such a thing as a queue. They have a crowd in front of the counter. The winner will be the one who will be closer to the counter, like the seller or "talk" other visitors.
Spain practically does not differ from everyday life. Long and thoughtful negotiations over a cup of coffee, openness and goodwill are held in high esteem. The Spaniards are never in a hurry, so being late is nothing out of the ordinary. The style of dress in such cases does not matter much, the Spaniards are very democratic in such matters.
Previously, there was such a thing as a siesta - a break from 15:00 to 17:00, the break was devoted to sleep, tea drinking, rest, in no case was it possible to work. In small towns, this tradition is still valid. However, in megacities, international corporations with their way of life have made changes to this national feature.
A bright, “juicy” country attracts people with its openness and unforgettable impressions. Climate, architecture, temperamental Spaniards created their own culture of communication and it is an interesting kind of world etiquette.
Alexandra Andriyanova, 12/23/2014
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Manners
Etiquette
The fact that in ninety-eight cases out of a hundred no one is at such meetings is considered good form. in a bad tone Spaniards consider not to listen to their interlocutor, no matter who he is and no matter what he says.
And since Spaniards never hurry anywhere, then they can tell you about their affairs for hours. And since interrupting the interlocutor or hinting to him that you have another meeting is considered indecent, then humble yourself and reassure yourself that the one with whom you had an appointment five hours ago is not waiting for you impatiently at the appointed place, because he himself listens to endless stories his friend, whom he, like you, also cannot interrupt and therefore has already missed three trains and two buses.
Because unpunctuality is common to Spaniards hell, many couples live in the happy belief that they will never have horns, because it is simply impossible to commit adultery in Spain.
The husband, of course, can rent a room for a fleeting rendezvous with his secretary, say, on Tuesday afternoon, while the wife is visiting an aunt who lives somewhere very far away, but this meeting is unlikely to take place, because:
1. On the way to the hotel, he can meet his classmate and invite her for a cup of coffee to remember his youth (three hours).
2. The secretary can be invited for coffee by another secretary to discuss whether she should go to a rendezvous (four hours).
3. The wife may not go to her aunt who lives far away, because at the station she can meet a very nice young man who will invite her to a cup of coffee in the station cafeteria to tell her how much he likes her figure (two to three hours) .
Queues
Of course, I can’t say that queues in stores are an invention. Spaniards, but to break ahead in the store, and the rougher the better, is considered a matter of honor here. "Extranjeros" (foreigners) do not immediately learn the art of standing in lines, say, in a butcher's shop.
Strong sharp elbows and solid weight are a big advantage here; knowledge of what is happening in the butcher's family will not interfere, in order to give him a couple of tips over the heads of those who stand in front.
The butcher, or his wife, or his apprentice is so much above the fuss on the other side of the counter that they are serving not the one who stood in line, but the one who was in sight or told them the latest story.
If you have a fresh gossip about a girl in your stash that your neighbor managed to "pick up", then you can be sure that you will get your piece of pork without waiting in line.
It happens that foreigners are skipped ahead. Naive foreigners! They don't know what cause that is not polite at all. Spaniards honor them with such attention for the sole purpose of pushing them out of the store as quickly as possible in order to laugh a lot at their, say, funny straw hat.
Spaniards are noisy, disorganized and unpredictable people. They themselves do not know how they will behave in the next minute. Spaniards care little what others think of them. For the most part, Spaniards pay less attention to manners than other nations. They, of course, expect that their children will behave decently in public, but at the same time they are not scolded.
They are always late or just don't show up for appointments they make themselves and don't sleep except for siesta. Siesta - two hours of afternoon nap (15.00-17.00). This is the most beloved and "holy" occupation of the Spaniards. Anyone who is on his feet during a siesta is considered abnormal. During siesta hours, it is almost impossible to find a single open store, or even people on the street. The country seems to freeze.
To any question of a personal nature, they only shrug their shoulders, because from their point of view it does not matter. At the same time, they have a passion for shameless moralizing, so don't be surprised.
“Sorry” or “thank you” are words rarely heard on the streets. No one expects you to say thank you or apologize for a minor transgression. The Spaniards believe that all this is affectation. They do not hide their pleasure, but they do not try to hide their displeasure either.
Spaniards addressing each other is probably the simplest in the whole world. In Spanish, the polite "you" coexists with the less formal "you", but once introduced, the Spanish completely forget about the polite "you". However, referring to "you" is unacceptable in relation to older ladies and important people. And addressing "you" uttered with a sneer can be a great insult. It makes it clear to the addressee that he is not behaving in the best way. In Spain, it is customary when meeting women not only to shake hands, but to kiss them on both cheeks.
The addresses "don" and "donia" added to the names are an expression of deep respect. These forms of address are applied to academicians, doctors, lawyers and other people with higher education, and are also a sign of noble birth.
Spaniards love to get to know each other, they love their friends, old and new, and therefore they make endless meetings in cafes, restaurants, bars, etc., to have breakfast, afternoon, lunch, coffee, dinner, coffee at night, another drink together. coffee at night and more coffee at night. The fact that in ninety-eight cases out of a hundred no one is at such meetings is considered the norm. Punctuality is a common trait among Spaniards.
The most important word in the Spanish lexicon is "manana" (usually accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders). One can only guess what meaning the Spaniard, who uttered this word, put into it. It can mean anything: "tomorrow", "tomorrow sometime", "the day after tomorrow", "next week", "in a week", "next month", "next year", "later", " somehow", "never" or "no way".
Since the Spaniards are never in a hurry, they can tell you about their affairs for hours. An old Spanish tradition is an evening walk around the city in order to see friends, as well as its inevitable consequence - idle conversation. Spaniards indulge in conversations anywhere and anytime.
It is considered indecent to interrupt the interlocutor or hint to him that you have another meeting. Do not insult the Spaniards, otherwise the flow of curses will be unstoppable.
Features of Spanish cuisine
If you decide to have a dinner party, then invite your Spanish friends two hours before the start. Avoid hot dishes, because if your guests happen to arrive on time, they will talk at length about how they did it, and the hot dish will still turn cold.
Since the Spaniards do not like to talk about time and never plan anything, one can only guess about the hour of lunch or dinner. If you are invited to visit, bring a bouquet of flowers or something sweet with you.
In Spain, it is not customary to immediately accept an invitation to lunch or dinner. It is most likely a mere formality. Agree only after the third invitation, then you, for sure, are invited sincerely. It is also not customary to come at exactly the appointed time, you need to be late for 15-20 minutes. Spaniards usually have dinner starting at 21.00. Spanish restaurants never close before 3:00.
It is the unpunctuality of the Spaniards that underlies the fact that their national dish is paella - a mixture of fried chicken, boiled fish, half-baked squid, raw shrimp, tomatoes, peas, red pepper, green pepper, saffron and rice. No one knows what, in fact, paella should taste like. So no one complains if it suddenly turns out to be undercooked or overcooked.
All the necessary paella ingredients can be prepared in advance, and then lie in wait for guests. And when, finally, they show up, in some twenty minutes, while the guests are eating "gazpacho" (a cold soup of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, bread, olive oil and garlic), you can have time to cook paella.
The Spaniards consume huge amounts of fried fish, shrimp, roast pork, fried squid, grilled sardines, grilled chicken, roasted peppers, grilled anchovies and grilled octopus, as well as smoked ham without sauce, which is not used here much. popularity.
Usually the day starts with freshly baked bread, which the Spaniards dip in olive oil and garlic, and black coffee, often with a dash of brandy or anise tincture. Children usually have “churros” (pretzels) for breakfast, which they dip in thick hot chocolate.
For lunch (which is never before three o'clock), puzzles or french fries are usually served. This potato can also be called a national dish, precisely because it can be cooked in advance, and then only thrown into boiling olive oil when guests begin to complain of hunger. Potatoes are eaten with absolutely everything, including paella.
A common dish is any light snack from olives and mayonnaise eggs to smoked sausage and roast goat, which is served all day in most bars.
Spaniards start drinking at two o'clock in the morning and do it in nightclubs before the opening of most offices, that is, until 10.30 in the morning. Especially popular are ice beer, gin and tonic, cold white wine, ice red wine.
