Dancing in the Streets: The Spanish Social Life

There is no denying that being a college student means a busy social calendar.  But for the Spanish, everyday life is all about socializing!

While a typical Friday night in Chapel Hill might include plans for dinner with your significant other, a movie night in the apartment or letting loose at a wild house party, here in Spain, every night might as well be Friday night!  The Spanish truly center their daily lives around the social culture, whether it means grabbing a mid-afternoon beer with friends or hitting up the hottest clubs until the break of dawn. Adjusting to this new aspect of life has been interesting, but I’ve managed to keep up with the pace between my ventures to tapas bars and the occasional non-stop early morning dancing. 

Eat, drink and be merry. As my friend Antonio put it, “When people meet up here, they usually are doing so to eat.”  In Spain, the food culture is a very important part of everyday life.  Tapas, which are smaller portioned meals, are a cheap and delicious eat for any time of the day and are enjoyed best with friends.  Typical dishes range from various types of pork and chicken, spinach and cheese empanadas, or tortilla española, the traditional potato and egg dish.  Since the portions are smaller, if everyone orders one or two, they are perfect for sharing!   When I walk through the city, at any time of the day, there are always swarms of people enjoying these meals outside; it really is obvious that food is a center of social culture.  In addition to the variety of food, it is not hard to find a café to grab a beer or coffee.  A major difference in Spain is the availability of beer—it can be found at almost any café, ice cream shop or food stand — even at McDonald’s!  Despite this, the Spanish thoroughly emphasize simple social drinking and generally stay away from the excessive drinking that can characterize the college years.

Taking it to the streets, literally. In Spain, it’s not customary to invite friends over to hang out at your house.  After spending my entire life going to friends’ homes for dinners or movie nights, this came as quite the culture shock. Homes in Spain are fairly private places and usually reserved for just the family. So if you can’t meet at someone’s house before going out, where exactly do people meet?  The street!   Especially for young people, the street is the prime place to rendezvous at any time of the day.  It is not uncommon to see large clusters of teenagers just hanging out at the bicycle station or on a street corner for hours.  Additionally, since most bars and cafés have outdoor seating, the street is once again a center for eating and drinking.   In Spain, a popular practice among young people is botéllon, or street drinking before going out at night.  On any given night, it is not uncommon to see pockets of young people drinking throughout the city, particularly beside the river. 

All night long.  In Chapel Hill, clubs and bars might reach their peak around 11:45 p.m. or midnight; in Spain, nightlife doesn’t get started until much later.  In fact, the norm is to not even begin until midnight at the earliest.  When those in Chapel Hill close their doors at 2 a.m., the ones here in Sevilla are literally just getting started and sometimes keep it going until 6 a.m. or 7 a.m.!  Spaniards typically meet up with friends for drinks around midnight for a few hours and then head to the clubs. Inside these discotecas, or dance clubs, the music ranges from house music to many popular American hits.  Keeping up with the fast-paced nightlife of Spain requires stamina for sure, but it’s just another adjustment that must be made.

Guys and girls.  One of the biggest differences involving social life is the way that Spaniards perceive dating and relationships.  I mentioned before that the Spanish home is a private place reserved for the family, so girls and guys rarely bring their significant other over.  As a result, PDA and heightened intimacy are completely normal to see here.  During my first few weeks here, I was definitely taken aback when I would walk through the park and see various couples getting incredibly intimate.  Parks, cafés, bus stations or wherever couples might have a minute serve as prime places for displays of affection.  But generally speaking, the Spanish pay no attention to it whatsoever—I mentioned that it was normal for the street to be the place where everything happens. However, it is not just couples that are more affectionate, but the country in general.  When greeting friends or strangers, it is absolutely customary to give besos, or kisses, to both cheeks of the person.  The Spanish are a lot closer and physically open with greetings, much like the warmth the rest of the culture exudes. Clearly, the notion of the personal bubble does not exist here!

There is no doubt that the Spanish social life is not for the faint at heart—it is fast, ever changing and lively.  That being said, a lot of the cultural differences that occur here can come as a shock at first.   The most important aspect of living in Spain or abroad anywhere is to embrace the differences.  As I continue to explore for the rest of the semester, I am excited about continuing to dive into the vivid life that is Spanish culture!