https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Spain is a fantastic country to bring up kids thanks to the weather, the safety and Spaniards' overall love of children, but that doesn't mean there aren't aspects of Spanish child-rearing that surprise foreigners. https://www.thelocal.com/20240919/the-strange-things-spanish-parents-do-raising-their-children Thu, 19 Sep 2024 13:02:03 +0200 the-strange-things-spanish-parents-do-raising-their-children What makes Spain and Spaniards tick? These unwritten rules will help you understand some of the traits of the national psyche, from the Spanish attitude to work to what Spaniards prioritise in life. https://www.thelocal.com/20221011/nine-unwritten-rules-that-explain-how-spain-works Tue, 11 Oct 2022 12:35:19 +0200 nine-unwritten-rules-that-explain-how-spain-works How can you tell Spain's regional accents apart? Where do they drop the ‘s’? And is there a 'best' and 'worst' accent? This detailed guide tells you all you need to know about the accents which people have across Spain’s regions. https://www.thelocal.com/20230803/a-handy-guide-to-understanding-spains-regional-accents Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:44:55 +0200 a-handy-guide-to-understanding-spains-regional-accents One of the most common stereotypes in Spain is that people from the capital think they’re better than everybody else. https://www.thelocal.com/20240827/why-do-people-from-madrid-have-a-reputation-for-being-arrogant Tue, 27 Aug 2024 18:45:06 +0200 why-do-people-from-madrid-have-a-reputation-for-being-arrogant We all know the stereotypes about Spanish people, but once you've lived in Spain for some time you pick up on other idiosyncrasies Spaniards have which are fairly unknown to outsiders, and often quite amusing. https://www.thelocal.com/20230817/ten-spanish-cultural-quirks-you-only-notice-once-you-live-in-spain Thu, 17 Aug 2023 15:43:29 +0200 ten-spanish-cultural-quirks-you-only-notice-once-you-live-in-spain A new study has revealed that young Spanish people have a closer relationship with their parents than all their EU counterparts, but it’s a double-edged sword according to researchers. https://www.thelocal.com/20240619/young-spaniards-most-emotionally-attached-to-parents-in-eu Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:27:36 +0200 young-spaniards-most-emotionally-attached-to-parents-in-eu It's a timeworn cliché that Spaniards have a siesta every day, and yet the data reveals that they actually sleep far less than some of their European neighbours. Why are Spaniards 'different' when it comes to sleep? https://www.thelocal.com/20240509/are-spaniards-the-worlds-most-misunderstood-sleepers Thu, 09 May 2024 12:47:19 +0200 are-spaniards-the-worlds-most-misunderstood-sleepers Whether it be insulting their regional dishes, turning your nose up at their favourite celebrations, or insinuating they're all corrupt, there are a few things you should never say to a Valencian, writes Valencia resident Conor Faulkner. https://www.thelocal.com/20240320/nine-things-you-should-never-say-to-a-valencian-person Wed, 20 Mar 2024 10:12:50 +0100 nine-things-you-should-never-say-to-a-valencian-person Spain's Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz has angered hospitality groups and political opponents by criticising how restaurants stay open until 1am or later, something that goes directly against the late eating culture so common in the country. https://www.thelocal.com/20240305/spains-labour-minister-calls-late-night-restaurant-culture-madness Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:08:01 +0100 spains-labour-minister-calls-late-night-restaurant-culture-madness From calling them lazy to poking fun at their accent and mocking their Semana Santa celebrations, there are quite a few sure-fire ways to annoy an Andalusian which you should avoid. https://www.thelocal.com/20240116/ten-things-you-should-never-say-to-an-andalusian Tue, 16 Jan 2024 13:36:01 +0100 ten-things-you-should-never-say-to-an-andalusian Spain is the EU country with the second lowest level of English proficiency in the EU, according to a 2023 study. We asked readers why, in their opinion, the country appears to be struggling to get better at 'inglés'. https://www.thelocal.com/20191120/why-are-spanish-so-bad-at-speaking-english-study-readers-views Wed, 20 Nov 2019 10:11:45 +0100 why-are-spanish-so-bad-at-speaking-english-study-readers-views Why are millions of Spaniards willing to give up their careers and study for years in order to become paper-pushers for the State for the rest of their lives? https://www.thelocal.com/20231108/why-so-many-people-in-spain-dream-of-becoming-civil-servants Wed, 08 Nov 2023 14:42:26 +0100 why-so-many-people-in-spain-dream-of-becoming-civil-servants How is it possible that there can be such a difference between two neighbouring countries so culturally similar, with related Romance languages and tourism-based economies? https://www.thelocal.com/20231102/why-do-portuguese-people-speak-much-better-english-than-spaniards Thu, 02 Nov 2023 12:00:14 +0100 why-do-portuguese-people-speak-much-better-english-than-spaniards Whether you view it as a storm in a teacup or a justified international outcry, the lingering interest in what Spain’s FA chief did says plenty about how Spanish society is grappling with ingrained chauvinistic behaviours and language.  https://www.thelocal.com/20230829/death-of-the-iberian-macho-what-the-rubiales-kiss-uproar-says-about-spain Tue, 29 Aug 2023 15:12:53 +0200 death-of-the-iberian-macho-what-the-rubiales-kiss-uproar-says-about-spain