In this field note, I will discuss one of the most important traditions in Spain...eating! The Spaniards vaule eating together. They also eat their meals later than most other countries in the world. I'm going to explain why these traditions exist.
One very important tradition that I practice here is eating every meal with my host family. The Spanish meal schedule is much later than what we are used to in the United States.
Spaniards, in general, are very family-oriented, which stems from their Catholic roots. In the Catholic faith, the only thing more important than family is God (Dios). Hence, meals are a time for everyone to thank God for their connection and for the food they are about to eat. I live with a non-religious family, but they still believe that it is incredibly important to come together and celebrate their time together.
In Spain, most people eat their meals later than Americans do because during the reign of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in the mid-1900s, Spain's time zone changed in solidarity with Nazi Germany. However, the citizens continued to eat at the same time they were used to, so their 1pm lunches changed to 2pm lunches and their 8pm dinners changed to 9pm dinners.
