A few things (just for fun) that will make you understand Spain more….
You’re wearing a summer dress before it’s at least 30C (86F) outside.
There are strict unwritten rules determining what to wear in Spain. The winter wardrobe is not packed away until the clocks go back at the end of March regardless of an early Spring warm spell. Short trousers are rarely seen as appropriate unless in the height of summer or at the beach and women of a certain age can be spotted sporting their fur coats in cities in central and northern Spain until at least Easter.
It’s 21C (70F) and sunny and you aren’t wearing a scarf
Scarves in the winter. Scarves in the autumn. Scarves in the spring and scarves in the summer. Hit the streets without one and the elderly women who are walking their little dogs will be very concerned for your well-being.
You are out having dinner before 8:30 PM
Spanish meal times defy all logic, but if you try to show up early for dinner you will find that most traditional restaurants closed or empty away from the coast. Don’t even try to make a reservation on weekends before 9pm, that’s just weird. Once you get used to this schedule eating dinner at 6pm is unthinkable. And don’t even think about rushing your meal. Meals are social occasions to savour and enjoy.
If your “night out” starts before midnight
Spanish nightlife is not for the fainthearted. With dinner starting anywhere between 9pm and 11pm, you won’t find anyone out before midnight or 1am. Best part about the late start times? In just a few hours you can enjoy early morning, post-party churros.
You make plans and you arrive on time
Again, Spain runs on its own clock. It may be considered rude in some countries to keep someone waiting but Spaniards will be utterly perplexed if you apologize for anything less than a 20 minute delay to a social meetup. And they certainly won’t understand why you are annoyed when they casually stroll up 20 minutes late.
If you head out to a sobremesa with your friends and don’t agree split the bill evenly
This is one of the more logical ones. The social life here revolves around food whether it’s meeting up for tapas before dinner or for a long sobremesa on the weekends. It’s the norm to split the bill evenly making the waiter’s, and your own lives, easy. That, or take turns picking up the tab. Much simpler than trying to figure out who owes those extra €3.
Shaking hands
Spanish people always kiss each other on the cheeks to greet each other. It is always two kisses and it takes place when you are introduced to someone even if it is the first time you meet them. If the greeting is between two men it’s a thump on the back, or a wave of the hand. Any other form of greeting in Spain will be met with befuddlement. Attempt just one kiss and you will leave the Spaniards kissing in mid-air and if you stick out your arm for a handshake then expect it to be pulled in and met with the double kiss.
Being too polite
The occasional ‘por favor’ will be forgiven, but Spaniards don’t quite know how to react to those (usually British) visitors who insist on apologizing willy-nilly for everything from accidentally bumping elbows to arriving five minutes late.
Mentioning Siestas
Bringing up the stereotype of lazy siesta-sleeping Spaniards won’t go down well. In fact, statistics tell a different story though: according to the OECD, people in Spain actually spend more hours at work a year than the Germans (1,665 versus 1,388). There are moves to shorten the standard working day in Spain in the belief that it would be more productive if people spent less time on the job.
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