Spaniards often spend a long time over a meal talking and enjoying, each
other's company, and perhaps sharing a drink. This is usual at the weekends at
lunch.
The Spanish have a siesta or midday break from work or school to eat
lunch and relax. Some businesses close down for a few hours each afternoon. This
began to give farm workers a rest from the hot midday sun. Families in the
country still take a siesta to go home to eat with their families. In the large
cities some large shops and offices now only take a one hour lunch as people
are commuting to work and can’t go home for lunch with their families.
The Spanish often have wine with
their meals
The Spanish drink lots of coffee and they
drink several cups of coffee during the day. It is also common to have coffee
after your meals
 |
| https://pixabay.com/p-1398259/?no_redirect |
Know the rules
Spaniards
don't like to waste food. It is better to say no to food rather than leave it
on your plate.
The Spanish say ‘good appetite’ (que
aproveche/buen apetito) before starting a meal.
If you aren’t offered a (another) drink it’s time
to go home.
Traditions
Every August in the town of Buñol outside Valencia, the
people hold a tomatina food-fight when thousands of friendly combatants throw
tomatoes at one another.
To bring
good luck in the year ahead, Spaniards traditionally eat twelve grapes, one
with each chime of the clock at midnight on New Year's Eve.
On February
3, St. Blaise's Day ( Día de San Blas ) small loaves of bread,
called panecillos del santo, are baked and then blessed at Mass. According to tradition, all
the children in the house are to eat a bit of this bread to protect them from
choking in the year ahead.
The
Christmas season officially begins on December 24, called Nochebuena (the
"good night”) when there is a special family dinner.
On January
6, a traditional Roscón de Reyes (a sweet bread) is baked. A small
surprise, such as a coin, is put the cake and the person who finds it in his
piece is believed to enjoy good luck in the year ahead.
