Hello! My name is Erin and I just started working at Gidea Gestion. My goal here is to help people adjust to Spanish culture more smoothly. I will have blog posts here describing things I’ve found interesting or different than back in The United States and share my experiences with you!
A large part of Spain’s culture is centered around meal times and what kind of food you have at each break. Desayuno is breakfast here that usually consists of a sweet pastry or snack that you can grab on the way to work. This meal is paired with a coffee or orange juice, but most Spaniards do not partake in this meal at all. Almuerzo is a mid-morning snack, or most people’s first meal of the day. This meal is usually a fresh sandwich, or bocadillo, also paired with beer, wine or Coca Cola. La Comida is lunch here and also the most important meal of the day. Most restaurants won’t have lunch until around 2pm which is why there are many opportunities to snack beforehand. This is the biggest meal of the day for Spaniards, consisting of an appetizer, main course, dessert, and maybe some beer or wine if you’re in the mood for it. This idea also consists of Siesta, where you take a two hour lunch break or relax for this time period. For those who work, it is common to go home and have lunch, a 15 to 30 minute nap, then grab a coffee and head back to work. Then, another snack break around 5pm, La Merienda, which calls for more sweet treats or small cured meat sandwiches. Dinner, or La Cena, doesn’t start until around 8pm and on weekends can be as late as 10pm. This is a lighter meal in Spain where tapas are split amongst family and friends and there is always beer and wine.
Growing up, my family at dinner at 6pm everyday with no exceptions. It took me quite a while to adjust to the meal schedules here and I still wouldn’t say I’m fully adapted yet. My advice is to start small, even just pushing dinner back 30 minutes later than your normal meal time at home. The best thing is that it’s okay to be hungry! Snacking is a huge part of Spanish culture and you’ll always be able to find a snack somewhere. Just be mindful of siesta and know some shops or restaurants will not be open from 2-5pm. However, most coffee shops with pastries will still be open during this time.
