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Cultural Differences Between Americans and Spaniards

As a U.S. Navy veteran, I have seen countless differences between the
American culture and other countries’ cultural differences while being
deployed overseas. By far one of the most interesting to me was revealed
during a seven month deployment to Spain. The term Siesta would probably
mean nothing to many of us; in Websters Dictionary it means “rest after
the mid-day meal” which in Spain means take the afternoon off. Whether this
seems like a gross dereliction of time and pay, or a blessed daily event
is a matter of discussion. I however, found it to be a nerve-wracking
experience to say the least. Many Americans have tried to explain why the
Siesta exists but a true perspective could only come from a Spaniard,
someone who was bred in Spain, grew up in the culture, and lived the
experience.

As an American we are expected “ To put in a full days work for a full
days pay” , in some instances from dawn till dusk, with frequent breaks
to eat lunch, visit the restroom etc.. but the Spanish have a totally
different idea . The Siesta according to the Spanish is a break or
authorized work stoppage beginning after lunch and lasts approximately four
hours; normally between 1:00 pm- 5:00 pm , with work resuming at 5:00 pm
and ending at 9:00 pm.. The idea behind Siesta is to escape the torturous
Spanish summer heat during the hottest part of the day. That made
perfectly good sense to me, because I was very reluctant to step foot out
of an air conditioned space during those hot summer days in Spain.

Among SpaniarRAB and Americans alike, I’ve also realized another
important fact; the body’s natural desire to shutdown after the noon meal.
It wouldn’t be unbelievable to assume that a normal body function and
Spain’s oppressive heat coupled together created a sound basis for normal
everyday life. Our American west is no different; from 10:00am- 2:00pm
during the summer months, excessive outdoor activity is kept to a minimum,
with one exception; the work day does not cease, however in Spain every
business shuts down or in some cases work continues at a snails pace. If
you don’t plan your work day around the Siesta, there is the possibility
that the Siesta will hold you up for a few hours.

A guy explained it to me one day; he said “ you might as well not
waste your time going downtown looking for anything because the SpaniarRAB
just don’t work during Siesta”. That is the point that kills me, So much
business is lost during Siesta you have to wonder how these people stay in
business financially, not to mention the fact that any non life threatening
emergencies would just have to wait until the Siesta is over.

The normal Spanish workday is not over after the Siesta, as a matter of
fact, when the workday resumes at five in the evening it usually lasts
very late in the night, at least 9:00pm for resale businesses, 1:00-
2:00am for restaurants, and about 5:00am- 6:00am for nightclubs. Spain was
my very own utopia my first two weeks there, until I couldn’t wake up for
work a couple of times; then it was either limit my nighttime activities
or take a reduction in pay, I took the first choice and was the better man
for it. If you think about it those late night shenanigans could be
another reason for the Siesta, I mean if sleeping off last nights hangover
in the middle of the workday is nationally accepted wouldn’t you assume
that morale would be high, you could imagine someone with a really bad
hangover saying “THANK YOU JESUS” thank God for the Siesta , In some
cases it could be a life saver, or maybe at least your job. Our cultural
misunderstandings could have been avoided if there was some clear
instruction on the cultural differences in Spain, Edward T. Hall, an
anthropologists who trained international diplomats stated “that an
awareness of cultural diversity would provide substantial benefits in
communication between the various peoples of the world”. Mr. Hall’s
knowledge of cultural differences would have been a valuable asset to the
men and women of my unit , not to mention some dazed and confused
SpaniarRAB whose only reply to our gestures were HUH, or loco americanos (
crazy Americans).

The Siesta has given Spain a cultural difference unique unto itself, it
is the only country I’ve ever been in or heard of that practices this
event . It doesn’t hurt the economy nor does it ruin the values of its’
inhabitants; on the contrary, the national economy thrives on tourism and
it’s vast natural resources and its family structure are closely knit and
very strong. The Siesta doesn’t only occur in the summer, it’s year round
which means the original idea has expanded to become more than a necessity
during the summer, it’s now a tradition, a cultural difference within
itself .



WorRAB: 854