|
Cultural Etiquette
Cultural Dos and Taboos
1. A firm handshake with direct eye contact is the customary form of greeting. Men will need to wait for a woman to extend her hand first if she wants her hand shaken. Friends and relatives will often greet each other with a kiss and/or a hug. Women lightly embrace and touch cheeks while kissing the air. A professional woman may also greet a Spanish man who is a close colleague this way.
2. Try to address people by their title and last name until invited to do otherwise. First names are appropriate among friends and younger people only. Always wait for your Spanish counterpart to initiate the use of first names or the use of the familiar forms of address.
3. Sports (especially soccer which is called "futball" locally), culture, literature, dance music and travel make excellent topics of conversation. The visitor may wish to avoid initiating topics that concerning religion.
4. Note that business is not usually discussed at social dinners, although business dinners at restaurants do occur frequently. Know the difference between a social occasion and a business lunch and expect differences in conversation accordingly.
5. The Spanish often (but not always) give advice to one another and foreigners freely; don't be offended by this. These comments should be received in the most positive spirit as they suggest that your counterpart is becoming more comfortable with you.
6. There are many gestures used in daily Spanish conversation. Their significance may vary from region to region, so observe local behaviors, and ask if you are unsure. To beckon another person, turn the palm down and wave fingers or whole hand. Snapping the hand downward is used to emphasize a point. The A-O.K. gesture (making a circle of the first finger and thumb) is rude.
7. Try not stand with your hands on your hips, as this may be perceived as a sign you are angry. While such aggressive stances are normal in North America, they do not translate well elsewhere. (Note that this is a generalization and should be regarded as such.)
8. If an invitation to a Spanish home is offered, you may decline at first, and accept only when pressed; first invitations are often only for politeness. If the invitation is extended again, you may accept.
9. If invited to dinner it is fine to bring a gift for the host or hostess. Exotic flowers, expensive and imported chocolates, cognacs, whiskey and other upper tier brands of liquor make fine gifts. If you receive a gift, you should open it immediately and offer your thanks.
10. Dining is formal in the Continental style with diners keeping wrists on the table and elbows off the table. The fork should remain consistently in the left hand and the right hand should be used in the right hand. The "fork flip-over" from left-to-right, common in North American usage, is inappropriate in Europe. Pay compliments to your host (and to the waiters in a restaurant).
11. Dinner is generally served later in the evening (close to 9 pm). Coffee and snacks are often served in the late afternoon, akin to the British tendency to have late afternoon high teas.
12. The Spanish are very conscious of self-presentation as it goes along with their concern for projecting an impression of good social position. Dress is generally casual but fashionable and one should always dress with good taste. Business attire is somewhat more orthodox, including suits for both men and women. Shorts should be confined to private homes and are not generally worn on the street.
|