CULTURE OF SPAIN: TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, GASTRONOMY, MUSIC - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The culture of Spain is wide and varied. It was born from the mixture of various peoples that have marked their traditions and customs, such as gypsies, Catalans, Galicians, Jews, and more. These have been a fundamental reference to shape the essence of Spain today.

Spain is one of the most sought after tourist destinations in the world. It has a large number of attractions for tourism with a great historical repertoire among its streets. Cathedrals, castles, monuments, ancient ruins and other diverse elements that make up its artistic and cultural repertoire.

Plaza de España, Sevilla

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

In addition, it is a diverse region of mountainous, coastal, forested and even desert areas. Its main neighboring countries are France and Portugal. Among some things that characterize the way of life and diversity within this country are the multiple languages ​​that coexist within the same territory or in nearby territories.

The official language of Spain is Spanish or Castilian, however, some very close and influential autonomous communities have their own language. Among these, Catalan is known, which comes from Catalonia; the Galician, of the inhabitants of Galicia; and Euskera or Basque, from the Basque Country, whose areas border Spain and France.

As for beliefs, in Spain the Catholic religion predominates, which has influenced this territory throughout history. Catholicism has been linked to this region since the 6th century, however, as of the 1978 constitution, Spain does not have an official religion.

The Spanish have had a great influence on religious beliefs and cults throughout the world. Most of the Latin American cults and the influence of Catholicism in this area have been the product of the arrival in America by the Spanish in the 15th century.

Spanish traditions

Flemish

It is a traditional musical and dance genre from Spain. It is associated with the southern region of Spain, specifically the gypsies, in the areas of Andalusia and Murcia. The origin of flamenco is not exactly known. It is believed that its roots may be linked to the migration of the Roma from Rajasthan from northern India to Spain.

This migrant population may have introduced to Spain certain characteristic elements of its culture such as bells, tambourines and castanets, apart from their traditional dances and songs. This mixture of cultures could have originated what is known today as flamenco.

When it comes to being on stage, flamenco is performed by bailaores or bailaoras, who dance with arm movements and a certain style of stomping, accompanied by the music of the guitar and the singer's voice.

At present, flamenco is recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2010. There is a diversity of flamenco dances, among which we can mention the soleá, bulerías, alegrías, sevillanas and more.

Bullfighting or bullfight

It is a set of roads on which pilgrimages are carried out and whose final destination is the sanctuary of the Apostle Santiago el Grande, which is located inside the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.

There are various stories about how the tradition of the Camino de Santiago was born, however, they all arise from the discovery of the remains of the apostle. One of the stories states that they were found by a Galician peasant near the town of Padrón. Other stories narrate that the body of Santiago was deposited in a boat which arrived on the coasts of Spain.

Following the discovery of the remains, King Alfonso II ordered the construction of a tomb for the apostle that would later become the site on which the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela rests.

The Camino de Santiago gained popularity during the Middle Ages. Many people from different regions of the world were interested in visiting the sepulcher, which started the pilgrimages, which deal with travel to sacred places such as shrines, for spiritual and religious purposes.

Although there are a variety of paths, the most modern was created in 1980 by Father Elías Valiña. The path also has its own symbolism, which in this case is a seashell. Many of the people who make the pilgrimage choose a seashell on the beach as proof of their journey. Some claim that the shell has become the symbol of the Camino de Santiago because many of the routes lead to the sea, from where, according to tradition, it is claimed that the body of Santiago came from.

At present, the Camino de Santiago is a site considered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1993. Among the most popular routes is “the French way” and the “North way”.

Rocío pilgrimage

Most of the Spanish customs have to do with sharing with friends, going to parties, eating and enjoying time with the people you love. They are characterized by having a very active night life and being lovers of physical contact.

Go for tapas

"Going for tapas" means going with friends to a bar. Tapas are small portions of food that are served as an accompaniment to an alcoholic drink. In Spanish gastronomy, the presence of these sandwiches has become so important that there are annual competitions to choose the best tapas of the year.

The use of olive oil

Olive oil is used for everything. In Spanish cuisine this ingredient is basic, even for frying. In fact, Spain broke the world olive oil production record in 2018 with 1.77 million tons for the first half of the campaign.

Take a nap

Taking a nap in Spain is very common, after lunch you sleep for about fifteen to thirty minutes to have a meal. In addition, the high temperatures of the region, especially in summer, require a rest in the population. For this reason, it is normal that between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm businesses and stores are closed.

Love for nightlife

Many discos in the country open after eleven at night and stay open until 6 and 7 in the morning. The nightspots are usually filled with people who dance until the next day.

Card games

Card games with the Spanish deck are very common in family gatherings, outings with friends and in some bars. One of the most common is the "mus", which is played with four people competing against each other, in pairs. The team wins when it reaches 30 or 40 points in three games.

The complexity and attractiveness of this lies in the fact that couples are not allowed to show their cards, so there is a list of signs to inform the partner what the possible plays are.

Gastronomy

Spain has had many variations in its dishes due to the influence of various cultures in its history. At first it was very influenced by Arab cuisine, after the discovery of America new ingredients such as sweet potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and cocoa arrived in Spanish kitchens.

With the arrival of the Bourbons in the 18th century, gastronomy and the way of eating changed profoundly, becoming more refined and clean. French cuisine was imposed and greater weight was given to the properties of wine and the cultivation of its own food.

Madrid stew

Madrid stew is the most famous dish in the capital, it is made with various meats such as blood sausage, chicken breast, and beef bones. It is served in three parts called "rollovers": the first is the broth that comes from cooking the meats; second the chickpeas and vegetables; third the meats accompanied with bread or rice.

The Catalan escalivada

It is a salad roasted with a fireplace or a wood fire, its traditional ingredients are seasoned aubergines, onions, peppers and tomatoes. Some regions substitute cod for aubergines. It is served with farmhouse bread or village bread, typical of Catalonia.

The paella

Paella is one of the best known Spanish dishes worldwide. The way this recipe is prepared remains controversial. They are marine stews served with rice, white beans, tomatoes, peas, oil and saffron. Some variants are cooked with rabbit or chicken.

Wrinkled potatoes

They are typical of the Canary Islands, they are potatoes cooked with the skin and marinated with a lot of sea salt, they are dried over the fire and, once ready, they are served to accompany the milk for breakfast or as the base of some dishes such as kid al oven.

Andalusian gazpacho

It is a cold soup. This dish dates back to ancient Al-Andalus between the years 711 and 715, when it was composed only of breadcrumbs with vinegar and oil. Over the years, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, pieces of ham and fried egg were added to the recipe.

Music

Spain is a multifaceted country with respect to its music, this is due to the variety of cultures that have mixed in the region throughout history. From the indigenous rhythms of the archipelago, the Arabs, Africans, Celts and Greeks to Christian and Jewish melodies. All of these are facets of Spanish musical culture.

Flamenco is one of the most important musical styles and traditional dances in Spain

Image by Werner Gmünder from Pixabay

Flamenco, charrada, fandango, polka and jota are the most famous musical styles in Spain. Usually flamenco is related to the gypsy people, it is believed that it is the descendant of Moorish music influenced by the Byzantine sacred, Egyptian, Pakistani and Indian styles.

The jota is another musical style that covers much of Spain. Includes guitars, bandurrias, accordions and lutes. They sing and dance with castanets. The lyrics of her songs are diverse and speak of patriotism, love, religion and more. The singer is usually a soloist, although some versions propose duets.

Religion

The Spanish Constitution guarantees religious freedom, so it ensures that in the country there is no official religion, in fact, there is no Code of Ecclesiastical Law. Even so, Catholicism predominates in the region, followed by agnosticism and atheism.

The Spanish State rejects discrimination based on religious convictions or attitudes, thus it relies on the religious freedom that they establish in their constitution. This guarantees all individuals and groups equal rights and responsibilities under the law.

References

1. Pilgrimage of El Rocío. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
2. Santiago's road. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
3. Fox E (2017). A Brief History of the Camino De Santiago. Culture Trip. Recovered from theculturetrip.com
4. Viguera M, Harrison R. (2020). Spain. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com
5. Conrad B (2019). Bullfighting. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com
6. The Andalusian Palace (2018). Flamenco dance: origin and types. The Andalusian Palace. Recovered from elflamencoensevilla.com
7. Ninotchka D (2019). Flemish. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com
8. Flemish. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
9. Gutiérrez L, Rodríguez A (2018). Spanish gastronomy. Bibliographic Information Service, National Library of Spain. Recovered from bne.es
10. Fernández L (2017). The return to Spain in 19 dishes. National Geographic. Recovered from viajes.nationalgeographic.com.es
11. Traditional Apanish music and dances. Recovered from gpckie.pl
12. Martí J (1997). Folk music in Spain and ethnomusicology. Recovered from digital.csic.es
13. Traditional music in Spain. Recovered from edu.xunta.gal
14. Special Eurobarometer 493 (2019). European Commission, Public Opinion. Recovered from ec.europa.eu
15. Combalía Z, Roca M (2014). Religion and the Secular State of Spain. Recovered from: iclrs.org
16. Spanish traditions. recovered from donquijote.org
17. González R (2019). Olive oil production in Spain sets a record. Recovered from: oliveoiltimes.com
18. Careaga R. The Spanish customs that surprise foreigners. Recovered from abc.es