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¡Viva España!
Los campeones de la Eurocopa y el torneo de Wimbledon
de 2008
 
(Images from Wikimedia Commons)
(To read about Christmas in Spain click HERE)

(To read about some famous Spaniards click HERE)

( Para ver la página de astrología, haz clic AQUÍ )

¿Lo sabías?......

1. In Spain, most people celebrate their name day.  In Spanish, it is called el día de tu santo.  If you have the same name as a saint or a name related to the story of a saint, then you will have a name day.  On every day of the year at least one name is celebrated. 
On special occasions like this, people say ¡Felicidades! (Best wishes.)  

2.  In Spain, everyone has two surnames.  The first is your father's first surname and the second is your mother's first surname. 
Your father's surname is considered to be more important and that is why it is positioned first.  It is always the father's surname that is carried forward to the next generation!
Here is an example:  A man is called Jaime López  García.  When Jaime marries a lady called Elena Martín Pérez, their children's surnames will be López Martín.   Only the men's surnames survive - those of Jaime's father and Elena's father.
The word for 'surname' is 'apellido.'  Some of the most common Spanish surnames are - García, Rodríguez, Martínez, Martín, Fernández, López, González, Sánchez and Pérez.

3.  In addition to Spain, the Spanish language is spoken in the following countries-
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela. 
It is also spoken in parts of- Andorra, Belize, Gibraltar, Morocco, the Philippines and the USA.

4.  In Spain, the Spanish language is officially called Castilian (el castellano).  There are other Spanish languages spoken there too, such as, Catalan (el catalán), Galician (el gallego), Basque (el vasco or el euskera), Valencian (el valenciano).

5. Spanish people love to sing and dance.  The most famous type of Spanish music is Flamenco in the south of Spain.  Flamenco music has three ingredients: el cante (the song), el baile (the dance), and el toque (the guitar playing).

        
(Image from Wikimedia Commons.  Creator of photo: Gilles Larrain.  The picture portrays Belén Maya, a Flamenco dancer.)            

6.  Other types of Spanish music and dance are - bolero, fandango, farruca, jota, malaguena, paso doble, seguidilla.
In Spanish-speaking parts of Latin America, these dances originated - habanera, mambo, rumba, salsa, tango.

7.  In the city of Seville (Sevilla) there is a form of Flamenco dance called la sevillana.  Every April there is a big festival called la Feria de Sevilla.  At this festival you see the local people dancing sevillanas.  Everyone wears traditional Flamenco dress.   Girls and ladies spend a lot of time discussing the colour of their dress, hooped earrings and flowers for their hair. 

(Image from Wikimedia Commons, author Ed Tarwinski.)

(To hear some Sevillana music, click on Track 24 of the Golden Time Jukebox.)    CLICK HERE

La Feria de Abril de Sevilla lasts for one week and starts on the Monday two weeks after Easter Sunday.  Each year, there is a poster to advertise the event, (above.)  Approximately one million people attend the festival.  It began as a cattle market in 1847 with tents erected for the selling of the animals.  Nowadays, the tents are striped in bright colours and inside there is music and dancing.  The tents are called casetas (little houses).  Most of the casetas are erected in an area of the festival known as El Real de la Feria, and there are around one thousand of them. 
Every year, there is a temporary gateway to the Feria - called La Portada, (below is the gateway of 2007.)

(Image from Wikimedia Commons, author Torchondo.)

Each day there is a fairground (known as 'the street of hell' - La Calle del Infierno), horse parades, bull-fights, dancing and music, and general merry-making!  At the end of the week of festivities, there are fireworks.  It is well-known that people (including children) return home at dawn following a night at the Feria. 

8.  During the hot summer, Spanish ladies cool themselves with a hand-held fan called 'un abanico.'  Although the fan is believed to have originated in China, it is known to have been used in Spain by the nobility as early as in the 14th Century.  It was a fine and expensive object made from palm leaves, straw, silk and feathers - including peacock feathers.  In those times, people who carried a fan were considered to be of high class.  

9.  The mantilla is a lace head-dress for ladies.  It is worn on special occasions.  At traditional Spanish weddings, the bride wears one.

10.  Traditional Spanish musical instruments are the guitar (la guitarra) and castanets (las castañuelas.)  

11.  A traditional Spanish pastime between March and October is to go to an arena to watch a bull-fight (la corrida de toros.)  The official name for this event is La Fiesta Nacional. 
 

The earliest recorded Spanish bull-fight took place in the year 1133 to celebrate the crowning of King Alfonso VIII.  
The oldest bull-fighting arena (plaza de toros) is in the town of Ronda in Southern Spain.  It was opened in 1785.
The most famous bull-fighter is Pedro Romero from Ronda.  He was born in 1754.  During his career he killed over 5600 bulls without ever being hurt.  He died in 1839.  Below is his portrait (painted by famous Spanish artist Francisco Goya.)

 
(Image from Wikimedia Commons.)

12.  The drink known as sherry comes from the Spanish town of Jerez and the surrounding area.  The full name of the town is Jerez de la Frontera.  The word for sherry in Spanish is the same as the name of this town -jerez.  Sherry is a strong wine and it comes in four varieties - fino (very dry and pale in colour), amontillado (dry with a nutty flavour), oloroso (full flavour and dark colour), manzanilla (literally means 'camomile' because it looks like it. ) 
If you go to the famous Feria de Sevilla (mentioned earlier on this page) you will see that lots and lots of sherry is drunk.

13.  One of the most important foods in Spain is rice (arroz).  It is the main ingredient in la paella which is one of the most famous traditional dishes of Spain.  La paella is cooked in a very big frying-pan called la paellera and traditionally it is cooked outside in the open air.  It is a mixture of rice, meat, seafood and vegetables.   
Rice pudding (arroz con leche) is one of the favourite desserts in Spain.
It is polite to say ¡Que aproveche! meaning 'Enjoy your meal!'

14.  Saffron is a yellow-coloured spice which is used a lot in Spanish cookery.  This is why the rice of la paella is yellow.

15.  Potato omelette (la tortilla española) is a very popular dish in Spain.  In Spanish homes, everyone seems to be very good at tossing the omelette (just like a pan-cake), so that it can be cooked on the other side.  
 

16.  The Spanish flag is red, yellow, red.  There is the Spanish coat of arms on the yellow stripe.  There is a legend that the yellow represents the sand of the bull-fighting arena and the red is for the bulls' blood.

    

17.  The patron saint of Spain is Saint James (Santiago).  His relics are in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Northern Spain.  Below are some photos of the city.

(Photos by Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez.  Wikimedia Commons.)

18.  When having a Spanish telephone conversation, the very first words spoken are - 
By the person who answers the phone : Diga or Dime (Tell me / Say)
By the person who makes the phone call:  Oiga or Oye ( Listen).

19. When the British town-crier shouts Oye! Oye! Oye! he is actually using the Spanish word meaning Listen! 
(The same can be said for when you shout 'Oy!' to someone!)

20.  There used to exist a night watch-man in every Spanish town.  He would walk around the town during night-time, lighting street-lights and shouting out the time.  He was known as el sereno.

21.  The most famous Spanish artists are :
17th Century - Diego Velázquez, 18th Century - Francisco Goya
19th Century - Jaoquin Sorolla, 20th Century - Pablo Picasso
                                                    Salvador Dali
                                                Joan Miró
To read about Pablo Picasso, click HERE. 

The painting below is the very famous work called 'An Old Woman Frying Eggs.'  In Spanish, it is called 'Vieja friendo huevos.'  It was painted by Diego Velázquez in 1618 and at the moment it can be seen at the National Gallery in Edinburgh!

(Image from Wikimedia Commons.) 

22.  The Spanish make of car is SEAT.  The company began in 1950.  The letters SEAT stand for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo, (Spanish Society for Touring Cars.)

23.  One of the most famous department stores to be found in Spanish town centres is called El Corte Inglés.  This name means 'English Dressmaking'.  It began as a small tailor's shop in Madrid in 1934.  Nowadays, it sells everything - food, clothes, ornaments, furniture, etc.......

25.  In Spain, the main meal of the day is at lunch time.  Shops close during this time for several hours.  After lunch, many people rest or take a nap.  This is called a 'siesta.'

26.  King Henry VIII's first wife was Spanish.  She was called 
Catherine of Aragon.  To read more about her, click HERE.

(Image from Wikimedia Commons, source Tudor Place)

27.  The pomegranate is the symbol of the Spanish city of Granada.  It can also be seen on the Spanish coat of arms.  A crowned pomegranate was the personal symbol of Catherine of Aragon.  
In Spanish, the word for pomegranate is granada, just like the Spanish city.  In fact, many people believe that the city of Granada was named after the fruit because it grows in abundance there.
Below you can see the official symbol of the City of Granada, in the shape of a crowned pomegranate and with a smaller pomegranate inside, too. 


(Image from Wikimedia Commons.)

28.  Spain has a royal family.  The current king is called Juan Carlos I (John Charles).  He has been the king of Spain since 1975.  His wife is Queen Sofia.  The official residence of the Spanish royal family is El Palacio Real de Madrid (photo below).  This is the largest royal palace in Western Europe.  It is used for special occasions.


(Image from Wikimedia Commons, author J.L.de Diego.)

The palace where the Spanish royal family actually lives is El Palacio de Zarzuela in the outskirts of Madrid. 
About the Spanish Royal Family: The official name of the Spanish King is - Su Majestad el Rey Don Juan Carlos.  On the day of his coronation he proclaimed that he wished to be El Rey de todos los españoles (King for all the Spanish people.)
According to Spanish tradition, the heir to the throne is called 'Príncipe' (prince) or 'Princesa' (princess).
Spanish princes and princesses who are not going to become King or Queen are called the Infante or the Infanta. This title means 'an infant or child of noble birth.'

29.  In Spain, it is common for families to have a maid (una criada), especially in families where there is a professional parent, e.g. a doctor, teacher, lawyer, etc.......

30.  Spain is famous for producing beautiful horses with arched necks and long manes.  The Andalusian horse from Spain (el caballo andaluz) is believed to be the oldest breed of riding-horse in the world. The word for horse is el caballo.  The Spanish word for gentleman is el caballero (meaning- 'man on horseback').  Before the invention of cars,  a man on horseback was of a higher class than a man on foot.
Below is an Andalusian horse doing a 'Spanish walk.'  Do you see the horse's arched neck?

(Image from Wikimedia Commons, original source: Eigene Aufnahmen.  Animation by Waugsberg.)

31.   Although Christopher Columbus was Italian, he became an explorer for the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella (the parents of Catherine of Aragon) in the 15th Century.  He made four voyages to the Americas by ship across the Atlantic Ocean and proved that the world is a sphere and NOT flat (as people believed at that time). On his first voyage, he took three ships called - La Niña, La Pinta and La Santa María.  Below is a replica of La Santa María.

(Image from Wikimedia Commons, author Dietrich Bartel.)

The exact date when Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón in Spanish) arrived in America (12 October, 1492) is celebrated every year in Spain.  For this reason, the date of 12 October is a national holiday in Spain called La Fiesta Nacional de España.  It is also known as El Día de la Hispanidad.  There are lots of parades, and the King of Spain always takes part in the celebrations in Madrid.
(To hear a song about Columbus' three ships, click on Track 12 of the Golden Time Jukebox.)  CLICK HERE

32.  The tomb of Christopher Columbus is in Seville Cathedral, Southern Spain.  It is held by the statues of four kings.  Each king represents a kingdom of Spain. The four kingdoms are - León, Castilla, Aragón and Navarra.

 
(Image from Wikimedia Commons.)

33.  The Spanish national anthem is called La Marcha Real (The Royal March).
(To hear the Spanish anthem, click on Track 39 of the Golden Time Jukebox.)    CLICK HERE

34.  Christmas Eve is very important in Spain.  It is called Nochebuena (The good night) and it is a very happy occasion.  Families eat a special meal on the night of 24 December.  There are many foods prepared for this meal.  Seafood and turkey are a popular choice.   A sweet nougat called turrón and sparkling Cava wine are also popular.
After the meal, some presents will be given.  There are lots of parties too.  
 

(To read more about Christmas in Spain, click HERE)

35.  Christmas Day is a quieter day for the family.  A special meal is eaten at lunch time and some more presents are given.

36.  The 6 January is the most important day of Christmas in Spain.  This is known as the day of The Three Kings (Los Reyes).  This is the day when children receive most presents.  The Three Kings arrive during the night of 5 January and leave presents for the children.  Children leave letters for the Kings, telling them the gifts they would like to receive.  They place their shoes outside on the balcony, outside their bedroom door or beside their bed - hoping to find them filled with treats and surrounded by presents in the morning!

37.  Every town has processions on the 5 January.  Sweets are thrown from the passing floats.

38.  On 5 January, a special cake is prepared all over Spain.  It is called Roscón de Reyes.  It is a ring-shape and is covered in coloured jellies.  The jellies represent the sparkling jewels worn by the three kings who followed the star to find the baby Jesus in the stable in Bethlehem. 
Inside the cake, there are little lucky charms.  The Spanish belief is that if you find one of these charms in your cake, it will bring you good luck for the new year.

39.  The last night of the year is called La Nochevieja (the old night).  At New Year, it is the tradition to eat twelve grapes at midnight - one grape for each stroke of the clock.  Those who eat the twelve grapes believe they will have twelve months of good luck - one grape is eaten for each month.  The grapes are known as Las uvas de la suerte (the lucky grapes.)

40.  In Spain, the bars serve small plates of food to accompany a drink.  This small dish is called a tapa.  
The tradition of the tapa began in the city of Seville in Southern Spain.   The word tapa actually means a 'lid'.  Originally, the workers would go to a tavern after a hard day's work.  
Their glasses of wine or beer would be covered with a slice of bread (just like a lid) to keep the flies away from the drink underneath. 
        
                         
Eventually, the custom changed slightly and a slice of ham or another type of food would be placed on top of the slice of bread.  
Nowadays, the tapa is food served on a little plate beside the drink.  It is no longer used as a lid on top of the glass.

(Image from Wikimedia Commons.)

41.  A popular way to eat fish in Spain is to soak it in vinegar, herbs and wine.  Then, it is fried in batter.  It is called el pescado en adobo.

42.  Spain, with Portugal,  belongs to the Iberian Peninsula.  The national Spanish airline is called Iberia.

43.  The oldest restaurant in the world is in Madrid.  It is called Casa Botín and it opened in 1725.

44.  The two main newspapers in Spain are El País (The Country) and El Mundo (The World).

45.  The University of Salamanca is very old and famous.  It was founded around 1220. There is a frog carved in the stone wall above the main entrance to the University.  It is said that if you can 'spot the frog' you will have good luck. Traditionally, students go to see the frog for good luck before any important exams!

(Image from Wikimedia Commons.)

46.  Pablo Picasso (Pablo means 'Paul') was born in Málaga in Southern Spain in 1881.  His father was an art teacher. 
  Picasso produced more works than any other artist - around 13,500 paintings, 100,000 engravings and prints, 34,000 book illustrations and 300 ceramics and sculptures. 

(Image from Wikimedia Commons, original source in Argentina: magazine Vea y Lea, 1962.)