Shahd Alhamdan
Spain is an interesting country, with a long history full of tradition and culture. Even today, many Spanish citizens and certain areas in Spain carry on old habits and traditions. As more Saudis visit Spain, Saudi Gazette has put together a list of some of the traditions and practices you may see while exploring this country.
Spaniards usually have two surnames: the first is their father’s, the second their mother’s. It can often be confusing for foreigners.
A number of festivals are celebrated in Spain every year, each with their own particular traditions and events.
On New Year’s Eve, Spaniards often carry a handful of grapes with them, and gobble them down when it reaches midnight. They believe that each grape they swallow will bring them luck in the months of the New Year.
In Northern Spain not only has tomato fights and running with the bulls, but the 400-year-old tradition of “Colacho”, or baby jumping. At a festival, an infant is laid on a mattress, and men dressed up in devil costumes will run down the street and leap over the prone child. The belief is that doing this keeps away the devil.
One of Spain’s most famous traditions is ‘tapas’, or small portions of food. Tapas allows those eating to try many dishes, not just one. ‘Tapa’ is one small of dish, and the plural of the word ‘tapas’ is “ tapear’ in Spanish. The main places for eating tapas are cafes or bars. Many tourists who travel to Spain, particularly Barcelona, enjoy the experience of eating tapas, as they can taste and discover several kinds of local dishes.
Paella is another traditional Spanish dish, coming originally from Valencia. The best Paella is made with saffron rice, vegetables, seafood and meat. Today, you can order Paella made only with seafood and rice.
Music is large part of Spanish culture. Spaniards adore music, and even in the smallest shops you will be hear music playing. For some in Spain, music is synonymous with Flamenco, a famous Andalusian genre of music. In Spain, Flamenco is not only about the music, but is also about the wardrobe of the dancers.
In the past, the instrumental music was influenced by Arabic music. However, today, many in Spain listen to other genres of music, such as rock and hip-hop.
