By asthaa
One of Spanish customs I have had to adjust to but appreciate the most is eating, rather the manner of eating. We often take it for granted at home, but sitting down to share a meal with family or friends daily is an important part of the day I in my experience in Madrid these past couple of months. In the United States when everybody is home, we do eat dinner together and enjoy sharing our days but often in the rush of work, plans at night with friends, or exhaustion we quickly wrap up and head in our own directions.
What I have come to embrace in Spain is that for many people, lunch and dinnertime are a part of the day to relax and take it slowly. There are often two or three courses and the conversation carries on without any rush, especially on weekends when people have time. Meals can begin with salad, soup, bread or tortilla española and end with some coffee or tea. After a light breakfast, lunch is eaten much later in the afternoon around 2 or 3 pm and dinner is eaten after nine at night. Many people even spend a long period of time on lunch during weekdays and make it a point to come home from work or school to eat with their families.
I have been lucky enough to live with a family that values having dinner together. On weekends, we do the same with lunch when we are all at home and it is one of my favorite parts of being in Madrid. Eating “on-the-go” is very much the usual for us students but since September I’ve had the chance to do what any Spanish students do – come home for lunch. Even if I’m alone, having the time to do that in peace is one custom I could take back with me to the United States. Things are changing in Spain, as the economic crisis seeps into various aspects of life and people change their schedules for work but this is one tradition I hope endures.