You know that a lot of people don't seem to know that Spain is not the only country in Europe to "celebrate" (as I prefer to name it since I enjoy it so much) the siesta. Other countries refer to it with other names: tea time, pisolino/dormilino/ etc. What is most important, however, whatever the name, most countries close-up for a few hours everyday. In Italy it's from 1-4; in England...I don't remember, but it's around 3, and in France...between, also, 1-4.

Why do they refer to it as the siesta in Spain? Have you ever been to Spain in the summer? Brutally hot (Madrid, for example, reaches 40-45ºC)and the heat actually makes a person want to sleep...to forget how damn hot it is and to wait for that cool evening breeze...that may, hopefully, appear.

Sheryl

Siesta is an institution, but as time goes, it is more and more difficult to take a siesta on working days for most people (my father used to come from work and have a very fast lunch to get 20-30 minutes for a nap before getting back to work).

In vacation periods (and such in places like coastal cities) you see many people going to the beach in the morning, then having a lunch, and then going for a siesta before they return to the beach to stay until they leave. But this is actually uncommion in working days.

Anway, Spaniards do go to bed very late at night, and that won't change, because climate and Sun cycles rule on that.

And yes, in some places in Europe they used to have a prejudice about the "lazy spaniards". Anyway, this prejudice is disappearing while the "fiesta-lovers" image remains (bucause this image is true).

Siesta is great when you are on holidays and youd on't have to work.
In working days it's a loss of precious time, time that I could spend with my children at 5PM instead of going home at 7PM as I do.
Specially in the bigger cities like Madrid where most people is unable to have siesta at home, the midday break is stupid, time consuming and useless. Spain NEEDS to change.
Sorry if you feel that siesta is a romantic and exotic thing, but I think that the 9 to 5 schedule is much more rational and gives you much more time to be with your family than siesta.

Deibid, I agree. The working hours are the only thing that I don't particularly like about Spain. I often wonder when parents are supposed to spend time with their children during a working week in Spain. By the time most people finish work it's nearly bedtime for most children. When do you get to see them?

I think the answer to the conundrum of when hard working parents see their kids is that the kids stay up late too! Maybe that's how they cope later on, they get trained at an early age. When my wife and I are in Spain we have to adopt a different timetable in the evening if we want to see anyone. There's no way our son can go to bed at around 8pm like he does at home.

We get up at 8.00.
Our compagny starts at 9.00.
At 14.00 its lunch (warm food) till 16.00.
Then we work form 16.00 till 20.00
At 20.00 we get a drink downsairs and then afterwards it's chilling time.
We will have dinner around 21.00 and go to bed between 23.30 - 1.00

At 11.00 and 20.00 most of the time we eat a lidle bite like sandwich our tappa.

Deibid I agree. I would be very frustrated not seeing my kids in the evening, because the day is stretched out due to siesta. It doesn't make much sense to me. But like I said before, on the weekends, or on vacation an afternoon nap is fantastic.
At what age does siesta begin ? Do kids go home from school for a couple of hours ?

WOW! I am so happy someone mentioned the children of Spain!
I am curious, what time do children go to bed during the week? Is it the same as the parents?
I am sorry, I am just full of questions.
One day I will have to go to Spain....soon, very soon!!!!

Well, we probably sleep less than the average American... I wish I could take a siesta on a daily basis!! Something now reserved for children or retired people.

Let's say we start work at 7:30-9:30 in the morning, depending on your job. Those who have a lunch break of 1:30-3 hours probably don't get home till 7-9 in the evening. Yes, we have our dinner late (around 9-10 p.m) but remember that dinner is not the main meal of the day, lunch is, and usually consists of a salad, fruit and yogurth, an omelette or something light.

I'm totally in favour of an 9 to 5 schedule. Years ago, when women didn't work, it could be reasonable to have lunch at home, there was always someone to take care of the children but not now. It’s becoming quite difficult to raise a family if you're working those long hours and that's one of the reason Spain has such a low birth rate.

Children go to bed as everywhere in the world (or they SHOULD!). It's their natural hour, and I know some parents in Spain FORCE chidren to go to bed late so they can see them. But that's not the correct way to do things.
There are children in Spain that are REALLY tired and hyperactive due to an adult timetable.
And these same children are exposed to the kind of TV programs that are shown at that time, that aren't the best for them.