Siesta: A Fading Tradition

Local News Story

Spain is not exactly known for it’s efficiency. I was really looking forward to the lazy Spanish lifestyle when I came abroad. Although Barcelona and Catalunya are don’t exhibit the traditional Spanish lifestyle, it is still pretty prevalent. A typical day is arriving at work around 9, getting a coffee and donut or croissant for a 45 minute break around 11, going home for lunch from around 2-5, and working until around 8 or 9.

An article just came out that claims the “average Catalan workday is 35.8 hours, the longest since 1999.” Although that is a mere average of 7.16 hours every day, this is significantly more than what Catalans are used to. Part of Catalan culture is to take one’s time and get things done at a pace that is comfortable. The article did state that companies with less than 250 employees usually work less hours. This makes sense because large global companies are no longer tolerating the lack of efficiency that is conducive with Spanish culture.


Personally, I do not have any classes from 2-4, the typical siesta time here in Catalunya. When I was down in Andalucia, the siesta was from around 2-7. That’s a long siesta! Banks, grocery stores, restaurants, basically any retail store is completely closed at the time. It is impossible to purchase anything during a siesta. Even though Barcelona is a metropolitan city and needs to be more efficient than cultural norms allow, it still does demonstrate a small siesta. The whole concept of the siesta is to have a break from school or work in the middle of the day and spend time with one’s family over a long lunch. I love this concept! I think that families would be much closer and happier if they could all get together in the middle of the day for a stress-free lunch. However, I do understand the demands of having a global economy. Time zones and our fast-paced global work force does not allow for long breaks in the middle of the day. It does make me sad that Spanish culture is slowly being erased with the new technological era. I think many Americans can learn from the Spanish values of family time and relaxing. It may even make everyone more efficient when they are at work. However this is just one of many ways that traditional Spanish and Catalan culture are being Americanized.