Culture and traditions of Spain

Spain has given the world some of its best known works of literature, painting and architecture.

• Miguel de Cervantes wrote Don Quixote (El Quijote), considered the first modern novel. It is the best known Spanish book. 23 April is Book Day (Día del Libro).
• Other writers: Federico García Lorca (poet and playwright, from Granada), Antonio Machado, and Camilo José Cela, Juan Ramón Jiménez and Vicente Aleixandre, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
• Painters: Diego Velázquez (Las Meninas, 17th century), Francisco de Goya (the Black Paintings, “The Third of May 1808”), Pablo Picasso (Guernica, 1937), Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró.
• Architecture: Antoni Gaudí designed the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell and Casa Batlló in Barcelona. The Alhambra of Granada and the Mosque of Córdoba are Moorish masterpieces.
• Famous museums: the Prado, the Reina Sofía (where Guernica is shown) and the Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, and the Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Exam tip: Learn pairs: Cervantes – Don Quixote, Velázquez – Las Meninas, Picasso – Guernica, Gaudí – Sagrada Familia.

Music and dance are an important part of Spanish culture and differ a lot from region to region.

• Flamenco comes from Andalucía. It combines singing (cante), guitar (toque) and dance (baile). UNESCO declared it Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
• Other typical dances: the jota (Aragón), the sardana (Cataluña), the muñeira (Galicia) and the sevillanas.
• Famous musicians and composers: Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albéniz, Joaquín Rodrigo (the Concierto de Aranjuez), the guitarist Andrés Segovia and Paco de Lucía, the singers Plácido Domingo and Montserrat Caballé.
• The most famous Spanish film directors are Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar. The Goya Awards are the main film prizes in Spain.
• Typical instruments: the Spanish guitar, the castanets (castañuelas) and the bagpipe (gaita) in Galicia and Asturias.

Spain has many festivals. Some are national public holidays, and others belong to a town or a region.

• National holidays include 1 January (New Year), 6 January (Epiphany, when children get presents from the Three Kings), 1 May (Labour Day), 15 August (Assumption), 12 October (National Day), 1 November (All Saints), 6 December (Constitution Day), 8 December (Immaculate Conception) and 25 December (Christmas).
• Holy Week (Semana Santa) is celebrated before Easter with processions in many cities, especially Sevilla, Málaga and Valladolid.
• Las Fallas in Valencia (March) end with burning large figures. San Fermín in Pamplona (July) is famous for the running of the bulls (encierro). La Tomatina is a tomato fight in Buñol (August).
• The Feria de Abril in Sevilla, the Carnival of Cádiz and Tenerife, and the Fiestas del Pilar in Zaragoza (12 October) are other well known fiestas. On 24 December families celebrate Nochebuena and on 31 December people eat twelve grapes at midnight.
• Bullfighting (los toros) is a controversial tradition: many people love it and many want it ended. It has been banned in some regions.

Spanish food is famous, and the timetable of meals is different from many countries.

• Typical dishes: paella (from Valencia, with rice), tortilla española (potato omelette), gazpacho (cold tomato soup), jamón ibérico, cocido and fabada (from Asturias).
• Olive oil is the main fat of the Mediterranean diet, and Spain is the world’s largest producer. Wine, with regions like La Rioja and Ribera del Duero, is also famous.
• Tapas are small portions of food that people share in bars. Lunch (la comida) is the main meal and is usually between 2 and 3.30 in the afternoon; dinner is late, often after 9.
• Football (fútbol) is the most popular sport, with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona the best known clubs. Spain won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2008, 2012 and 2024.
• The siesta, the nap after lunch, is less common than people think today, but shops in some towns still close for some hours in the afternoon.