Spanish Customs

Granted that you have been in and out of Spain for a couple of years now. You have visited almost every notable and famous tourists attractions in that country. In fact you have probably revisited a number of the prime tourist spots, because you are so deeply in love with Spain. With all the enthusiasm you have with the country, you might be considering to move or live in Spain. I cannot really blame you, since I also find Spain as a very interesting and prime place to live at.

Due to my sudden urge of residing in Spain, I decided to think of the good reasons I actually want to live in Spain. Several of my reasons are Spain's diverse leisure activities, their language, outdoor life, following healthy diets, and their prime and notable culture. I love almost everything about Spain, that is why I intend to reside in that country as soon as I finish my planning and preparations.

What I totally love about Spain is its language. You and I both know that Spanish is among the world's top languages. It is also given that their language is very easy to learn and it is considered as among the most widely used language around the globe. I even attended a Spanish language class during my second visit in Spain, because I was totally captivated with how Spanish folks converse and how beneficial it is for me if I get to be well adept with the Spanish language.

Yes, I know that Spain is popular for its flamenco dancing and bullfighting. But those two are not the only prized cultural aspect of the Spaniards. The arts can be considered as among the most notable aspects of Spanish life. World-class Spanish composers and artists are now acclaimed and in line with the greatest artists in the world. If you would find time to learn more about the artistic culture of Spain, you would surely be amazed with how rich Spanish culture and arts are.

As I have said, there is more to Spain's cultural heritage than their customary bullfights and traditional dances. They also have rich artistic culture that is known to be a famed cultural icon among other countries of Europe. Interesting artists are featured by the country to the thousands of tourists yearly. Spanish culture can be seen and discovered in terms of music, the arts, or architecture.

During the Golden Age of Spain, the names of El Greco and Diego Velasquez were always on top of prime Spanish artists' names. In the 18th century, Francisco Goya became the most famous painter among his Spanish peers. The 20th century period highlighted the names of Juan Gris, Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miro as the most influential Spanish artists. With regard to Spanish architecture, the Roman ruins and the Minorca monuments are the prime sites to visit. In terms of music, Paco de Lucia is known as the top flamenco guitarist in the whole world, while Andres Segovia is well-regarded as the pioneer for establishing classical guitar as a single genre.

The people from the countries of the world have a lot of differences from one another. There's race, nationality, language, customs, culture, etc. But thank heavens for digital information technology. This breakthrough has managed to bridge the gaps created by our minds or the planet's land masses. With this, a church in Spain is planning to remove a St. James statue which depicts the saint cutting the actual heads off of Moors.

A cathedral in Santiago de Compostela seeks to relocate the St. James statue to one of its museums in the very near future. Jose Gambino is the artist of this masterpiece, and the church officials have also reported that it is planning to put a statue, which the same sculptor have made in its place. The actual statue to be put in its would-be former place is again a St. James statue, which depicts the saint on one of his more relaxed moments. Church officials have to do this because they also plan to make the first step towards unity in Spain.

The statue which would actually be replaced and taken to one of Spain's museums depicts St. James cutting off the heads of Moors. This is believed to be an actual symbol of their church's conquest of this country from Islamic grasp. But these Moor murders, as portrayed by the statue, just might anger the Muslim people of the world. Thus, church officials have agreed to actually take this statue to one of Spain's museums because it is deemed that having it in the church would be an insult to the Muslims of the world than just a cultural heritage for Spain's churches.

As intense as the stamp of their Flamenco, Spanish people are fueled with passion when it comes to football. No, this is not American football with a quarterback on a throw for the ball with a silly shape. Football in Spain is also known as soccer in other countries.

To put it more bluntly, they are crazy when it comes to football. The streets are empty and business temporarily falls off during a football duel. They are most certainly found sparkling with fascination in front of their TV screens- almost as if it's their first time to watch. They cheer with a blare and moves like a true sports fanatic.

Another profitable venture in Spain is to own club or a football team. It makes money and gives you power to trade players for hefty amount of cash. The sports game is widely covered by media--the radio, TV and print. The popularity of the sports is enough to declare a holiday especially during the game. You can strut the walk and elude the crowd on the streets, malls or restaurants during a football match.

Football is another way of life in Spain. More than the adrenaline rush and the active spins of the play, it serves as their outlet to counter stress from day-to-day problems. Spanish people beam with exhilaration in football.

All kids believe in Santa, at least that's what I think. I for one have believed his existence when I was a kid myself. During Christmas Eve, I hang a grocery bag (not a sock, but a grocery bag-- the bigger the pouch, the more present, I figured) on the fireplace. Imagine my delight when I wake up Christmas morning to find my grocery bag full of gifts! Thank you, Santa!

In Spain though, kids do not have Santa. It's rather sad, I know. But instead of the old, fat guy (my four-year old nephew said Santa should have a personal exercise regimen) that we are all familiar of, Hispanic kids have the Three Kings to give them gifts. On Fiesta de los Tres Reyes (Feast of the Three Kings) which is on the 5th of January, kids write to the three kings about the things they want to have. The eve of the celebration, the kids hang a shoe on their windows (yep, shoes, not grocery bags) sill so the kings would know where to leave the goodies.

If the kids have been nice the entire year, they would surely get presents, but if not, they would get 'carbon' instead. Carbon is a sweet, akin to black sugar honeycomb, and is often given to the kids by adults as a joke if they've been naughty all year round. I just have one question though: if the Spanish kids have three kings for Santa, does that mean they get gift three times more? Just wondering...

Roman Catholicism is indeed the largest religion in the world. No one would dispute that this religion immensely helped shape the world's history. The Catholic Church's influence is eminent all over Europe and the world in general. As everyone knows, Catholicism, is the main religion of Spain, and surely, there is a Catholic wherever you go.

The triumph of the Spaniards against the Moors thousands of years ago was greatly attributed to Catholicism. This religion also considered as one of the thresholds by which this peninsula stands today. Spaniards are known for their being religious in a distinctively Spanish way. It is commonly believed that Catholicism will remain to play a vital role in the lives of the Spaniards.

There were also great Spaniards who propagated Catholicism in various parts of the world. For instance, there was Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of Society of Jesus. He helped combat the outbreak of Protestantism in Europe. We also have Saint Francis Xavier, who brought the religion to different countries like India and Japan. The same is true with the brave Spanish conquerors. Since they colonized the Philippines, they brought along and propagated their religion to over 7, 000 glorious islands of the Philippines. Today, this archipelago is the only Christian country in Asia.

Modern sports has also conquered the dance arena. Ballroom dancing has dramatically become not only a favorite pastime for the not-so-young. Nowadays, a great number of young people have fallen in love with ballroom dancing. It has become a means by which people can stay healthy because in dancing you actually extract a lot of extra and unnecessary fats and calories.

One of the most well-loved dances of today is the Spanish Flamenco. It is in fact, an authentic form of Spanish art. This world-class dance sport is usually acted out in three forms. The song, the dance, and Flamenco guitar playing make up this dance. The gypsies or the wanderers are believed to be the fathers of this dance.

The Flamenco has gone through numerous changes brought about by the invasions of various powerful conquerors thousands of years ago. Apparently, modern-day Flamenco is a vivid fusion of arts, music, dances, customs, and traditions of these invaders. Today, Flamenco exhibits certain influences of several sorts of music such as jazz and salsa among others. Flamenco female dancers, more often than not, tend to display their character rather than dance artistry. The Flamenco has evolved. It never fails to amaze worldwide audiences. But, it will always be an authentic form of music and dance fused together.

Spain is not only famous for its paella, the Alhambra, Flamenco, and many others. It is also known for its influential siesta, which has been practiced for ages. On this day and age, other countries have expressed their criticism over this Spanish custom, the siesta.

Common all throughout Spain, except perhaps in Barcelona, the siesta actually did not originate from Spain. It used to be a European custom because it was customary in Italy and Portugal thousands of years ago. Still, many people believe that the siesta distinguishes the Spaniards from the rest of their European brothers.

The siesta, which usually commences at around 1:30 pm or 2:00 pm and lasts for roughly three hours, does not necessarily mean sleeping. Since it is called the midday, Spaniards usually stop working and engage in other activities aside from eating and sleeping. Then after three hours of siesta, they go back to work. It is now being highly criticized by many Europeans because they think that this custom may lead to lower productivity, less career opportunities and growth, marriage failure, and other possible consequences. The Spaniards, on the other hand, do not forget this age-old tradition as they believe that eating very quickly without sitting down is a sin. The siesta actually reinvigorates and helps us maintain a strong healthy body.

Some people who watch the popular Spanish custom of the "corrida" or bullfighting think that this is a cruel way to kill an innocent beast. Corrida is an old-age custom that the Spaniards practice as a social celebration dating back to the era of the Spanish Army. The "toro" is usually a very young bull, and the ceremony happens in the Plaza de Toros.

The "torero" must be a skillful bullfighter. He can ride the horse or even just tease the bull barefoot. The ceremony begins with the pricking of the banderilleros (to enrage the bull) and the picadores (who lance the bull on horseback). The matador then finishes off the celebration as the bull becomes weak during the course of the bullfight.

The traditional flower of choice of a bride in Spain is orange blossoms. The orange blossoms represent happiness and fulfillment. This is symbolized by the orange tree simultaneous blossoming of flowers and bearing fruits. Before the actual exchanging of vows, the Spanish groom gives thirteen coins to his bride as wedding present. The coins represent his promise that he will support her. The coins are then carried by the bride in a small bag to the wedding ceremony.

The traditional wedding gown is made from black silk with intricately designed black lace veil. The groom will wear a embroidered shirt which is handmade by his bride. During reception, there are no speeches. Instead the couple and guests dance the sequidillas manchegas.

Customs are geographically and historically determined. Some cultures which are historically and geographically linked have similar customs. For instance, Europeans tend to have more respect to government authorities than Americans. This is perhaps due to centuries of autocratic monarchies.

Spain, on the other hand, is united by two most influential aspects of their present culture. These are soccer and radio. Every soccer event is a national event that is source of their pride. Supporting soccer events are almost equivalent to patriotism. Radio listening, on the other hand is a national passion. Almost all people in Spain listen to radio everyday for many hours. The most respected and influential journalists in Spain are radio broadcasters.

Let alone its beautiful and panoramic landscape, Spain is flocked by tourists worldwide for its rich culture, tasty dishes, and warm natives. Yet if you are a visitor seeking a different experience and a way out of the usual routine and festivities, you may consider "El Camino de Santiago."

These phrases can be interpreted in two ways: as the pilgrimage itself or as the routes that connect together leading towards the destination, which is the shrine of St. James (Santiago) the Greater in Santiago, Compostela. The religious journey dates back to the 9th century after the discovery of the Apostles' tomb and its road extends as far as the neighboring country of France. From the time it began until today, the pilgrimage continues to draw more people local or foreigners alike towards its heart.

El Camino de Santiago is not a mere road adventure, but rather a more profound experience and a glimpse of what life is all about. Walking down its road is like seeing life in a nutshell. The path is winding and rocky sometimes. The temperature at times is either too hot or cold for travel. The end seems too far testing one's patience. But always, the journey culminates well with one's perseverance. Looking back, you realize that the long walk is worth taking. For you no longer see the hardships, but rather you feel your achievement and remember the many stories shared, unforgettable experiences, and the friends you met along the way.

Have you ever tried walking non-stop during an entire day? Well, I did once and it was an unforgettable adventure.

Javierada takes place in March and is one the most popular and well-attended religious feasts in Navarre, Spain. The celebration starts with a pilgrimage of residents beginning from their homes until they reach Castillo de Javier (home of St. Francis Xavier).

Since our residence was more than 70 km. from the place, my colleagues and I started our long walk at dawn. Well, we reached our destination past 5 PM in the afternoon.

Until now, I could not imagine how I did it. But it was fun. There were so many stories to share and listen to along the way and there were new people and friends to meet.

Spain has been a bastion of Catholicism for centuries; thus, one would expect that its culture is profoundly influenced by the church. In Spain and in the Catholic world, in general, one of the most important sacrament among the seven sacraments is wedding of holy matrimony. This is the reason why wedding in Spain is a big family event. The usual expected guests are at least two hundred persons. There is the usual throwing of rice but other customs are less familiar. The ceremony often start late usually at 7 p.m. The mother of the groom is the one who accompanies him down the aisle. Best men and speeches are not existent in Spanish weddings. At the reception, expect it to be noisy with fire crackers and traditional dances called "sequidillas manchegas."