Cultural differences in Spain

I am just going to talk about differences in general and many of these aren't even a big deal. Sometimes, even the smallest things can make a difference when traveling abroad. I probably already mentioned some in the earlier posts.

1. There are lots of flies here, and they are a lot harder to kill!

2. A lot of people smoke here whether it is cafes, parks, or wherever. I heard that it is around 40 %. I have yet to go around the city without seeing at least 10 people smoking.

3. Dogs shit everywhere and their owners don't ever bother to pick up the crap. If you ever visit Spain, you got to be careful...

4. Most Spanish people are environmental friendly and sort out their garbage between plastics, paper, and other food.

5. Not many people here eat on the streets. It is very uncommon to see people walking with coffee or a bag of chips in their hand.

6. Spaniards take a looooong time eating and don't seem to be in a rush when eating. They could sit in the cafeteria or pub for hours while chatting with their friends.

7.  They eat rice or beans with forks even though it is very hard to scoop. To help them, they use a piece of bread in their left hand to help them eat and also to mop up the juice on their plate when finished. I haven't seen this before but it is pretty cool.

8. Coffee is served after everything else. Their cups of coffee are tiny. Also, it is normal to drink coffee at night.

9. Spanish people don't eat a lot for breakfast. Usually just coffee or hot chocolate with biscuits or milk. It is not common to have sausages or eggs or yogurt for breakfast.

10. Lunch time is between 3-4 pm and is the main meal of the day. During this time many stores close and don't open until later. This can be pretty annoying when you have to buy something urgently. Dinner is anything later than 8-11 or maybe even later.

11. In many countries pubs and discos close at around 2 or 3 am. In Spain, many pubs and discos don't open until 2 or 3, and close at around 6-8!

12. When you order a drink at a cafeteria, they usually give you a bowl of chips and sometimes some mini sándwiches. Pretty awesome huh?

13. Zapatillas! or slippers in English. I don't know if they do this in other countries, but Spanish people never walk bearfoot at home
14. Keep your room clean! Normally back home it is disorganized, but here, I have to clean it everyday :(

15. On Sundays, almost every shop and business is closed. All supermarkets are closed and the mall as well, with the exception of the food court and cinema.

16. TV shows tell you how long the commercial breaks are. 

17. The F*** word. In Spain joder (fuck) can be heard everywhere from the 9 year old boy to the old grandma crossing the street. I hear teachers say it and even when students say it, the teacher treats it as if nothing happens. Also, most swearwords (palabrotas) aren't censored on TV

18. At school, you call your teachers by their first names. Also, nobody raises their hand. 

19. Teachers don't hand out notes in class. You have to go to the photocopy room and pay for your own notes.

20. Wedding rings are commonly worn on the right hand. 

21. They use military time (24 hour clock)

22. There are no commercials when you see a movie at the cinema.

23. Spanish people take ham very seriously. They have lots of different types of ham in the supermercado.

24. Nobody uses Facebook in Spain anymore. Instead, they mostly use Whatsapp or Twitter.

25. Multiple Choice tests in Segundo Bachillerato (12th Grade) are pretty much non existent.

26. It is not uncommon for people to repeat grades. There are around 8 people in my class that are repeating.

27. No one ever wears Basketball shorts or sweatpants to school.

28. The Spanish National Anthem doesn't have any lyrics.

29. Clothes dryers aren't as common because most people hang their clothes outside.

30. When entering a supermarket, you have to put your backpacks or bags in a locker.

31. Father's day (Dia del Padre) is celebrated on April 19th and Mother's Day (Dia de la Madre) is celebrated on the first Sunday of May.


32. Most people have two last names. they use their dad and mom's last name


33. 0'123 and 5,00 really means 0.123 and 5.00

34. Most bathrooms at home have a Bidet.

35. There are three types of police in a town or city. Policia local, Policia Nacional, and Guardia Civil.
36. The Car shapes and brands are different. Most cars are in manual instead of automatic.