Let me share my reflections on Spanish culture and how it has changed me. These are the 10 Spanish habits one might eventually pick up in Spain – or at least I partially did.

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Popular Spanish Habits

Living in Spain for 15+ years

Let me admit that despite my 15+ expat years in Spain, I updated the blog section Life in Spain less than I probably should. Traveling non-stop across the country gives me lots of inspiration to talk about new hidden gems, but less time to share insider stories from my daily life in Spain. So, I finally took time to reflect on how living in Spain has actually changed me and my routine. If you ever plan to live in Spain for more than a few months, you should definitely take this list seriously. I recall the question, “Which Spanish habits have you adopted?” being one of the first asked during my interview for obtaining Spanish nationality.

I often feel like most Spanish habits are extremely different from those in other EU countries. While some still feel strange to me, the majority are almost impossible for expats not to pick up. Living in Spain is not just about location; it’s entirely about lifestyle. As my Spanish in-laws like to say, ‘Trabajamos para vivir, no vivimos para trabajar‘ – we work to make a living, we don’t live to work. In other words, a person is not supposed to live simply to pay bills and die. The famous stereotype about Spanish siesta and fiesta is actually part of the national culture, but this culture has quite a few other lesser-known attributes that locals are well aware of.

10 Spanish Habits You Might Eventually Pick Up in Spain

Siesta

Siesta means a nap. Although many Spaniards in big cities don’t sleep in the middle of the day after lunch, some still do, especially those from older generations and in traditional rural areas. My father-in-law religiously takes a 30-minute nap at lunchtime and assures me it helps him recover and be more efficient in the afternoon. Additionally, most small shops and businesses in Spain close during lunchtime for siesta. So, many people who aren’t into midday sleep can still dedicate this time to their families and hobbies. After siesta, many return to work until 8 or 9 p.m. Over time, you get so used to this sacred siesta time that you automatically arrange all your plans, calls, and daily errands before 13:30/14:00 or after 17:00, as if time actually stops in between.

Late dinners

As Ernest Hemingway once said, “There is no nightlife in Spain. They stay up late, but they get up late. That is not nightlife. That is delaying the day.” Dinner in Spain typically starts around 9:30 p.m., which has honestly never worked for me. It feels very much like the Spanish “delaying of the day,” as I love waking up with the sun and starting the day with a tasty breakfast. However, on the days we go out, late dinners are not optional. I simply accept that I’ll need to go to bed late and maybe even skip my favorite breakfast (since I won’t be hungry in the morning). The truth is that many expats in Spain, especially those who enjoy the nightlife, quickly adopt the habit of late dinners. Many admit they even enjoy life more this way.

Football

Football in Spain is like a second religion. Most Spaniards are fans of their local football club, and then either Barca (FC Barcelona) or Madrid (FC Real Madrid). I used to like football before I moved to Spain, but expats who don’t, yet still surround themselves with locals, can’t help but pick up the football details and names. It is also one of the safe topics the Spanish discuss instead of politics, for example. However, I wouldn’t call it entirely a “safe topic,” as the last time I went to Camp Nou for El Clasico (a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid), it felt so tense. Most fans take it far too seriously during important games.

Lottery

No jokes, most Spaniards play the lottery regularly, especially over the Christmas holidays with La Loteria de Navidad and La Loteria del Niño. There are actually quite a few lotteries in Spain all year round: Euromillon, La Primitiva, La Bonoloto, El Gordo, Quintuple Plus, La Quiniela, and others. It is typical for a group of friends to buy at least one lottery ticket together during the winter holidays. At our school, they also sold charity lottery tickets for Christmas. While having a meal in a restaurant, you can often be approached by a lottery salesman. While I honestly don’t like lotteries, I have to admit that no one really cares, lol. Quite a few times, my in-laws have given us a lottery ticket during family holiday reunions as a gift. Despite my skepticism, we even won 100 euros once. Although since my mother-in-law buys lots of lottery tickets for Christmas, we’d need to win the grand prize to recover what she’d been investing in for years.

Paella on Sundays

While paella is officially a typical dish of the Valencia region, you can find many Spanish families sharing this traditional meal across the entire country on Sundays. During my years of traveling in Spain, I have surprisingly met many people who have adopted this habit, even in the Northern Spain. Read more about my traditional Spanish Sunday in this post.

Almuerzo

While almuerzo means a mid-morning snack, for many Spaniards it actually replaces breakfast. Almuerzo is not only a meal; it is a Spanish social ritual. In the region of Valencia, the almuerzo culture is so significant that I’ve put all the details in a separate post.

Watching San Fermin

One of the top festivities in Spain, San Fermin (July 6-14), involves the daring bull run described in the famous Hemingway novel of 1926, The Sun Also Rises. The celebration takes place in the city of Pamplona, Navarra. It is common throughout Spain to watch the encierro (the bulls running) around 8 a.m. every morning during San Fermin. However, many people across Spain are against bullfights, especially in large cities. In villages, though, this tradition still thrives as people gather with friends and relatives to watch the San Fermin Festival. Almost every local bar in Valencia serving almuerzo will have a TV on for the encierro.

Grapes on New Year´s Eve

One of the popular Spanish traditions is eating 12 grapes, one with each of the clock bells striking midnight on December 31. Even if you’re planning to go out for New Year’s Eve, the restaurant will provide you with 12 grapes. You get so used to this grape-eating tradition that you can’t imagine the start of the year without them.

Fiestas and Puentes

A large number of festivities in Spain provide locals with numerous opportunities to enjoy a vibrant social life and spend time with their families. In addition to national holidays, every small town in Spain has at least one week of local celebrations each year. Friday and Saturday evenings are busy at most bars and restaurants. After a late dinner, nightclubs usually fill up around 3 a.m. Also, puentes are the Spanish version of long weekends. If translated literally, “puente” means a bridge and refers to the day between a holiday and a weekend. Many Spaniards also take this day off work, creating a long weekend – a great opportunity for a mini-vacation. Years ago, my husband had a 9-to-5 job, and most of our first Spanish road trips and weekend getaways were possible because of the puente concept.

Meals with a glass of wine and daytime drinking

People who are not used to daytime drinking, get ready for this to change in Spain. The Spanish social character, along with the world-famous La Rioja, has made a glass of wine an essential part of lunch, dinner, or even almuerzo in Spain. Not only is Spain one of the top wine exporters in Europe, but a lot of it is also consumed within the country. Nevertheless, you’ll rarely find a drunk Spaniard in a restaurant. Meals are traditionally accompanied by a glass of wine. The concept of wine drinking in Spain is about enjoying the small things in life and knowing when to stop. If you are eating with your partner, ordering una copa de vino de la casa (a glass of house wine) is quite common, and for a group of people sharing a meal, a bottle of Spanish wine is often a must.

No Tips

I should admit that I’ve gotten used to this Spanish habit over the years, and it feels strange leaving tips whenever I leave Spain. Being served well just because you’re a guest, rather than in return for your tips, feels much more genuine and welcoming. It is true that, for instance, in the United States, waiters largely depend on tips due to their low salaries, and the no-tips policy doesn’t apply. But still, there are many European destinations where tipping culture is introduced exclusively for tourists, which at times feels like a scam. In Spain, you usually leave 1-2 euros as a tip and receive a grateful nod from the waiter or owner, simply because no one is expecting even that little.

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For more Spain travel tips check out my Pinterest board Spain Travel Collection and Flipboard Travel to Spain.

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