INTRODUCTION TO SPANISH CULTURES, HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND BELIEFS

INTRODUCTION TO SPANISH CULTURES, HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND BELIEFSBY: AILYNE A. CLEOFE HUMO4A

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SPAIN Occupies about 85% of Iberian peninsula.With Portugal on its western border.The Pyrenees range separates Spain from France.Atlantic Ocean washes Spains north cost, and northwest corner adjacent to Portugal and southwestern zone between Portuguese border and the Straight of Gibraltar.Spain separated from North Africa on the south by the Strait of Gibraltar and Mediterranean and Canary Islands in the Atlantic, off the coast of Africa.

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MELILLA

CEUTA

The patron of Spain is St. James the Greater or Santiago

Christopher Columbus

Special holidays in SpainJuly 25- National holiday, St. Santiago/Apostle James the Greater day.December 8 Immaculate Conception/Mothers day.Christmas day, New years day and Epiphany and Easter.(national holidays)March 19 St. Joseph/Fathers dayJune 21 Midsummer EveJune 24 St John DayOctober 12 Columbus day/Dia de Hispanedad(national holiday)

The BullThe complex of bull fighting tradition across Spain and The figure of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza from Miguel de Cervantes novel of 1605

The Holy Family

Spanish Family and Culture, comida and cena.The family meals are important gathering times, even in congested urban areas.Most working people travel home to comida and return to work afterwards.1:00 or 2:00pm- most business are close and do not re-open for afternoon business until 4:00 or 5:00pm at the earliest depending upon the season-winter bringing earlier afternoon hours than summer.Banks and many offices have no afternoon hours.

Spanish Family

Food is the principal currency of social exchange.

Spanish CultureThe outward signs of social differences are embodied in the degrees to which people can display their material worth through their homes.Fashionable dressJewelriesFashionable form of leisureDegrees to which their behavior reflects education , urbane and famously important as a sign of economic well-being and social status.

Spain justice systemServes citizen from local levels with justice of peace and district courts through the level of the nations supreme court and a separate Supreme Court for constitutional interpretations.The system is governed by civil and criminal codes.Every Spanish locality is served by one another police force.Urban areas have municipal police forces while rural areas and small pueblos are covered by the Guardia Civil or Civil Guard.

Cont.

Civil Guard which is a national police corps also handles the policing of highway and other transit systems and deals with national security, smuggling and customs, national boundary security, and terrorism.

Spanish Community

Informal social controls are powerful forces in Spanish communities of all sizes.In tightly clustered villages residents are always under their neighbors observation, and potential criticism is a strong deterrent against culturally defined misconduct and failure to adhere to expected standards.Many village communities rarely if ever activate the official system of justice and law enforcement; gossip and censure within the community and surveillance of all by all, are often sufficient.

Spanish Culture and BeliefsWomen perform mens tasks when necessary but are least likely to drive a plow or tractor.Men do womens tasks when necessary- and many men like to cook, but are least likely to do mending and, above all, laundry.Married men and women run their domestic economies and raise their children in partnership.Men and women pursue leisure separately, particularly in public places.They gather with friends and neighbors of like sex and the same age.

Cont.Men and women lead more separate lives than occurs among the peasantry.Traditional divisions of male from female tasks are less often breached. Where they have hired household help.The servants are likely women, and these are an old part of the nations female work force, which is now expanding in new directions.Domestic servants have always played a vital role in communicating elite models to the peasantry and working classes.Spain now permit divorce, so more Spanish women are finding new kinds of freedom from their traditional role as a wives and mothers.

Spanish KidsInfants are treated with affection and good humor and scoldings are often accompanied by kisses.Teasing and taunting are not normal parts of adults exchange with children.The birth of children is seen as a chief purpose of marriage.Children of both sexes are valued and raised with affection, even adoration, by parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and older siblings.Children are expected to be loving in return.

Spanish kids

Spains Famous Places

The City Of SalamancaHistorical and Architectural attractions includeThe Romanesque old cathedralAs well as the new cathedral.

Seville The city capital of Andalusia.

One of the Spains central cities.Don Juan de Carmen was one of the Cities glories

Cordova located in Andalusia

The most spectacular Among the relicts is theMosque of Spain.Constructed in 8th century .One of the Arab masterpieces .

Granada- popular tourist attraction is the Caves of Sacramonte.

It is no greater misfortune than to be blind in Granada

Door of a cave house

Superb garden in SpainThe city surrounded by the superb gardens of the Generalife, with a big number of fountains and an effective use of water that serves as a source of refreshment during the hot days of summer.

Beautiful Spain

Spains arts and Music

Thats it for today.!GRACIAS POR ESCUCHAR