Diseño del blog
7 Junio 2020
Ana del Río

But it is still daylight!

Have you ever wondered why Spaniards live life at a different pace than the rest of Europe? We eat and dine much later than in other European countries, that is a fact. It has happened to all Spaniards: we are having our toast with jam for breakfast while a family of tourists enjoys delicious stew at noon. On the other hand, we are usually the ones searching desperately for a restaurant which is open at nine in the evening in any other European capital.


This is because each culture perceives the passage of time differently and paying attention to these differences is key to adapting to a new environment and this is because, depending on our cultural point of reference, we spend time differently. 


The hours of sunrise and sunset are key to the study of cultural chronemics. Check out his example: in Vigo, a European city where it gets dark later because it is the westernmost region of the Central European Time zone, today sunrise was at 6.58 and it will be dark at 22.09.
On the other hand, in Macedonia the first rays of the sun shone at 4.58 and it will get dark at 20.01. We share the same time zone; however, the sun will rise in Galicia two hours later than in Macedonia and in the same way, it will set two hours later.

This difference has its advantages and disadvantages: some criticize the lack of productivity at work at these times… But how lovely it is to go for a walk after work to enjoy the sunset and have a drink with your partner or friends. Here you have an example: going for a drink after dinner in Spain, means sitting down after 23.00 at the earliest and you do not enter the clubs before two in the morning.

My recommendation is that you adapt to these hours during your stay in Spain and that you inform yourself well at what time shops or restaurants, museums and discos open and close, to make the most of the day. If you do not follow these schedules, you will end up eating in an empty restaurant or surrounded by other foreigners, missing out on the Spanish atmosphere that you will find a couple of hours later!

A tip: have vermouth and an aperitivo to keep your hunger at bay until lunchtime!

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