Facts on the Culture of Spain
Spain is a country that is rich in cultural diversity stemming from its many different inhabitants over thousands of years. It is the second largest country in Europe, with France being the first. Spain's government operates through a Parliamentary Monarchy, which was put into place in 1978. The area that is now Spain is known to have been inhabited since over 30,000 years ago.
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Early History
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The first civilizations in Spain started with the Phoenicians and the Greeks, however, the area that they occupied was soon taken over by the Romans, who ruled Spain for over six centuries until the fall of the Roman Empire. According to Joseph Green of California State University - Dominguez Hills, "Rome left in Spain four powerful social elements: the Latin language, Roman law, the municipality and the Christian religion." With Spain in a time of crisis because of Rome's decline, by the 6th century the Visigoths had seized control of the entirety of the Spanish Peninsula. By the 8th century, Arabs had conquered nearly all of Spain, bringing with them the Muslim religion.
Languages
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Being that Spain is so diverse in its peoples, naturally there are several languages that are spoken there. The recognized national language of Spain is Castilian. Castilian is a romance language that is more commonly known as "Spanish." Professor Jose Felix Barrio notes that Castilian "is the official and cultural language of some 350 million people the world over." Catalan is another romance language which is also spoken throughout many parts of Spain and originated around the 12th century. Galician is another language spoken in parts of Spain, although only about 2 million people currently speak Galician. Euskera is only spoken by about 600,000 people in Spain, although it originated at around the same time as Castilian.
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Traditions
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The Spanish siesta is one of the most important customs recognized in Spain. The siesta is a period of rest, typically lasting from around 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm, in which nearly all businesses close down in order to allow all members of a community to participate. Most often the siesta consists of a good lunch and a short nap, in order to refresh and revitalize body and mind. Spain also takes place in many traditional holidays, including Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day.
Sports
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The people of Spain have a few sports which could be referred to as favorites amongst the masses; soccer, bull fighting and bicycling. Evan Roulzong notes that bull fighting is an activity that has been around since 711 AD which is when "the first bullfight took place in celebration for the crowning of King Alfonso VIII." Although bull fighting is a sport that is highly contested, it is still an event that draws out millions of curious fans. The people of Spain also enjoy sports such as skiing, golf and basketball.
Food
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Being that Spain is a peninsula and is surrounded by the ocean on three sides, it is only natural that Spanish food would be heavily influenced by seafood. In addition to seafood, Spain's cuisine is also influenced by the variety of people living there, including the settlers from ancient Greece, Rome and the Celts, and the more recent Jews and Muslims.
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References
- Photo Credit spain 3d image by FFprod66 from Fotolia.com
