https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed If you live in Spain or come here regularly on holiday, you’ll probably have noticed that Monday is the day when many bars and restaurants stay closed and you have far fewer options than any other day of the week. But why is this? https://www.thelocal.es/20241015/why-do-many-bars-and-restaurants-in-spain-close-on-mondays Tue, 15 Oct 2024 19:47:23 +0200 why-do-many-bars-and-restaurants-in-spain-close-on-mondays Saying hi and goodbye in Spanish can’t be that hard, right? Well, if you’ve been using your home country as your frame of reference you may be getting some simple Spanish greetings wrong. https://www.thelocal.es/20210329/the-most-common-mistakes-foreigners-make-when-greeting-people-in-spain Mon, 29 Mar 2021 17:50:39 +0200 the-most-common-mistakes-foreigners-make-when-greeting-people-in-spain While the British are famous for their love of forming orderly lines, the stereotype from abroad is that Spaniards are impatient and incapable of queuing properly. Here's why foreigners have it all wrong. https://www.thelocal.es/20220331/are-spaniards-really-that-bad-at-queuing Thu, 31 Mar 2022 12:18:24 +0200 are-spaniards-really-that-bad-at-queuing Cross-cultural relationships are as interesting as they are complex. Here are some of the ten most common moans foreigners have when talking to their Spanish partners. https://www.thelocal.es/20220804/ten-common-complaints-foreigners-make-to-their-spanish-partners Thu, 04 Aug 2022 11:03:29 +0200 ten-common-complaints-foreigners-make-to-their-spanish-partners Ernest Hemingway famously said that Spaniards “delay the day”, and when it comes to eating, this is certainly applicable. https://www.thelocal.es/20241002/why-do-spaniards-eat-so-late Wed, 02 Oct 2024 14:32:56 +0200 why-do-spaniards-eat-so-late One of the traditions that foreigners in Spain don’t get is why the birthday boy or girl is expected to pay for friends' meals and drinks when they go out to celebrate. What's the protocol for this habit? https://www.thelocal.es/20220825/why-does-the-birthday-person-pay-for-everyones-food-and-drinks-in-spain Thu, 25 Aug 2022 15:37:48 +0200 why-does-the-birthday-person-pay-for-everyones-food-and-drinks-in-spain You may be familiar with the basic way Spaniards say ‘cheers’, but there are other Spanish expressions and habits associated with clinking glasses and making a toast that you’ll be happy to learn. https://www.thelocal.es/20241007/salud-the-different-ways-to-say-cheers-in-spanish Mon, 07 Oct 2024 18:23:22 +0200 salud-the-different-ways-to-say-cheers-in-spanish You may have noticed that your Spanish friends refer to the last bite of food on a shared plate of tapas as 'la de la vergüenza' (the one to be ashamed of or embarrassed about). https://www.thelocal.es/20210311/why-do-spaniards-find-it-shameful-to-eat-the-last-piece-of-food Thu, 11 Mar 2021 13:57:05 +0100 why-do-spaniards-find-it-shameful-to-eat-the-last-piece-of-food If you've moved to Spain, chances are you have picked up some Spanish habits. How many of these do you do? https://www.thelocal.es/20190405/the-quirky-spanish-habits-youll-pick-up-living-in-spain Fri, 05 Apr 2019 13:11:07 +0200 the-quirky-spanish-habits-youll-pick-up-living-in-spain If you've lived in or visited Spain in autumn or winter you may have noticed that Spaniards often dress according to the time of year and not how hot or cold it is. We asked our readers to share their stories as we find out why this could be. https://www.thelocal.es/20241023/why-do-spaniards-dress-for-the-season-rather-than-the-weather Wed, 23 Oct 2024 18:41:58 +0200 why-do-spaniards-dress-for-the-season-rather-than-the-weather One of the highlights of moving to a new country is immersing yourself in a new culture, and Spain certainly does things differently when it comes to eating and drinking. https://www.thelocal.es/20200129/18-ways-your-eating-and-drinking-habits-change-when-you-live-in-spain Wed, 29 Jan 2020 09:28:16 +0100 18-ways-your-eating-and-drinking-habits-change-when-you-live-in-spain If there’s one thing that Brits, Irish, Aussies and other tea-drinking foreigners find frustrating about Spain, it’s the absence of kettles for their morning ‘cuppa’. Esme Fox explores why the Spanish don't really care for kettles. https://www.thelocal.es/20240823/why-dont-spaniards-use-kettles Fri, 23 Aug 2024 13:02:36 +0200 why-dont-spaniards-use-kettles When a child loses a milk tooth in Spain, it’s not a magical fairy that comes to collect it in the night, but a little mouse instead. https://www.thelocal.es/20230113/why-a-mouse-called-perez-is-spains-tooth-fairy Fri, 13 Jan 2023 17:50:37 +0100 why-a-mouse-called-perez-is-spains-tooth-fairy This colloquial term is used to describe a certain kind of person you're likely to see out and about in Spain on Sundays. https://www.thelocal.es/20241024/who-are-spains-domingueros Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:43:08 +0200 who-are-spains-domingueros When you really settle into life in Spain, you start noticing some of your social habits changing, from not drinking to get drunk to how long it takes to say goodbye to your friends. https://www.thelocal.es/20191128/nine-ways-your-socializing-habits-change-after-moving-to-spain Thu, 28 Nov 2019 15:04:39 +0100 nine-ways-your-socializing-habits-change-after-moving-to-spain Despite being known for its year-long sunny weather, Spain is the EU country with the fewest homes with natural light, often intentionally. Why is it that when it comes to spending time at home, Spaniards seem to love being in the dark? https://www.thelocal.es/20220803/why-are-spanish-homes-so-dark Wed, 03 Aug 2022 12:10:03 +0200 why-are-spanish-homes-so-dark If you're thinking about what new year's resolutions to keep up with in 2025, why not follow in the footsteps of the Spanish and adopt some of their traditional lifestyle habits? After all, they have really it sussed when it comes to living well. https://www.thelocal.es/20191002/ten-spanish-lifestyle-habits-to-adopt-immediately Wed, 02 Oct 2019 16:18:58 +0200 ten-spanish-lifestyle-habits-to-adopt-immediately Many observant foreigners in Spain have been quick to pick up on this bizarre practice. What’s the reason behind bottles of water being left outside buildings and houses here? https://www.thelocal.es/20241021/why-do-some-spanish-homes-have-bottles-of-water-outside-their-door Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:01:09 +0200 why-do-some-spanish-homes-have-bottles-of-water-outside-their-door Madrid’s regional president wants bars and restaurants in the Spanish capital to open earlier for lunch and dinner to cater to foreign tourists and their eating habits. https://www.thelocal.es/20241002/spains-capital-mulls-opening-restaurants-earlier-to-adapt-to-tourists Wed, 02 Oct 2024 14:12:25 +0200 spains-capital-mulls-opening-restaurants-earlier-to-adapt-to-tourists Something foreigners often pick up on while in Spain is that it's common for Spaniards to shout out ‘¡Jesús!’ when somebody sneezes. Why is this the case? https://www.thelocal.es/20220406/why-do-people-in-spain-say-jesus-when-someone-sneezes Wed, 06 Apr 2022 11:55:22 +0200 why-do-people-in-spain-say-jesus-when-someone-sneezes