History&Culture

Spanish speakers tend toward formality in their treatment of one another. A firm handshake is a common practice between people as greeting and for leave-taking. A hug and a light kiss on a cheek are also common greeting practices between women, and men and women who are close friends or family. The Spanish language provides forms of formal and non-formal address (different use of usted vs. tú for the pronoun you, polite and familiar commands, the use of titles of respect before people's first names such as Don or Dona). In non-formal settings, conversations between Spanish speakers are usually loud, fast, and adorned with animated gestures and body language to better convey points.

NAMES AND NICKNAMES

Hispanics generally use both, their father (Paternal surname) and mother (Maternal surname). For example: Maria López Sánchez takes her first surname from her father and her second from her mother. This only pertains to children. When women get married they keep their paternal surname. Sometimes they may take the husband's paternal surname using the preposition de. Thus if Maria marries Juan Rodríguez García, she then becomes Maria López de Rodríguez.
Nicknames are also common to use in place of a person first name. A persons nickname is often a diminutive form of his/her given first name formed using the suffix <ito> for men and <ita> for women. For example: Clara becomes Clarita. Here are also some conventional nicknames listed below.
People from North America are called “norteamericanos”; people from Central America are called “centroamericanos”; people from South America are called “Sudamericanos.” Some Spanish Americans might resent our calling ourselves “americanos,” since they are also Americans.” It’s better to say “Soy norteamericano or soy estadounidense.

Traditionally, the Hispanic family is a close-knit group. The term familia usually goes beyond the nuclear family. The Hispanic "family" is characterized by strong and close bonds that include not only parents and children but also extended family and may include non-family members who are treated as family by virtue of long standing associations.
In most Hispanic families, the father is the head of the family, and the mother is responsible for the home. Individuals within a family have a moral responsibility to aid other members of the family experiencing financial problems, unemployment, poor health conditions, and other life issues. A problem of one family member becomes the concern of the whole family. The "macho philosophy" in many cases is dominant in the home. While it is true that families recognize the father/husband as the total authority, they look to the wife/mother for counsel.
Family ties are very strong: when someone travels to another town or city to study or for a short visit (e.g., vacation, business, medical reasons), staying with relatives or even with friends of relatives is a common practice. Families often gather together to celebrate holidays, birthdays, baptisms, first communions, graduations, and weddings.

In the Hispanic world, religion has traditionally played a significant role in daily activity. More than 90% of the Spanish-speaking world is Roman Catholic. The church influences family life and community affairs, giving spiritual meaning to the Hispanic culture. Each local community celebrates its patron saint's day with greater importance and ceremony than individuals do for personal birthdays. As in other parts of the world, traces of the religions of the Indians and African-Americans of Latin America are found in the Catholicism that Hispanics practice.

Time is life. Many Hispanics find it difficult to adjust to the American-scheduled life. We must understand that where they come from, time as we know it-is not important. Life is not crowded with a hundred one things to do. Usually one major event per day is planned and all of life surrounds it. The Hispanic nature is not to follow the clock. To most Americans "time is money" and the clock "runs," but to the Hispanic "time is life" and the clock “walks.” However, in the American business world, they realize the importance of following the clock and adjust their habits to keep a place in the work force. Although Hispanics are very energetic they are never in a hurry.
To express scheduled events (theater, trains, airplanes, etc.), Spanish American countries use the twenty-four hour system. One O’clock in the morning follows midnight and is “la una.” But one O’clock in the afternoon is “las trece, “etc.
The Spanish calendar shows Monday as the first day of the week and is sometimes confusing to the American, who is accustomed to seeing Sunday as the first day.

In many Latin countries, stores function differently than in the United States. For example, in Spain most stores close between 2pm and 2:30pm for lunch and re-open around 5:30pm or 6pm. But in other countries you will see more street vendors and flee markets. When shopping in the street markets, bargaining for a better price is common. One usually doesn't pay the original price.

Most department stores and malls are similar to the ones in the United States. Generally it's really easy to identify stores in Latin countries because most of them carry the name of the product sold or article specialized followed by an ending ería. For example: Libro book and ería shop/store becomes Librería Bookstore. Here are some other examples:

Some stores start with the word tienda + de + product name or article specialized:

In the United States, we basically have three meals a day: Breakfast, which is between 8am 10am, lunch, which is between 12noon 2pm, and finally dinner, which is around 6pm 8pm. In Latin America, the mealtimes are a little different. Breakfast is usually early in the morning and consists of a light serving. Lunchtime is called “La Comida”, which is considered to be their heaviest meal. This meal is equivalent to our dinner and usually starts much later in the day between 2pm 2:30pm. Dinnertime is called “La Cena”, which is considered to be like our lunch. This meal can start at any time after 6pm up until 10pm.
Most Latin countries buy bottled water instead of using it from their own faucet. In most cases the water supply in many countries is polluted and not drinkable. Finally, when eating out in a restaurant, there is usually a service charge of 10% - 15% already included in your bill. If the service extremely good or you are dining in an expensive restaurant, you might consider leaving a little extra.

Pharmacies (Farmacias) in Latin America are much different than in the US. First, A pharmacy tends to only sell medicine and not other articles non-related to medicine. Those items can be found in a drugería (drug store). Second, In Latin countries it's not necessary to have a prescription for certain types of medication. You can actually buy pain medication and antibiotics without a prescription. If the problem you have requires a very strong amount of medication, then yes, you will need a prescription. Pharmacies are also open 24 hours in most countries. Natural herbs for medicinal purposes are widely used in most families.
Dieting and exercising are not as common as they are in the US. Although, in Spain, the older population tend to take walks in the late evening with friends. When it comes to visiting the doctor, most Hispanics only visit it there is a serious problem or concern. Routine check-ups and annual exams are not commonly practice as in the US.

The Holy Week of Easter is the most important Catholic religious festival in Latin America. Semana Santa, Holy Week, celebrates the last days of Christ's life, the Crucifixion and Resurrection, as well as the end of Lent. Semana Santa is observed with a range of celebrations, from the most solemnly religious, to a mix of pagan/Catholic, to commercial. Semana Santa begins on (Palm Sunday) through Jueves Santo (Maundy Thursday) and Viernes Santo (Good Friday, culminating in Pascua or Domingo de Resurrección (Easter Sunday). Each day has its rituals, through the streets with participants on their knees or carrying large wooden. During this week, many schools and offices are closed. You can expect resort areas to be crowded as people take advantage of the holiday.

Hispanic countries celebrate the more popular international holidays, notably Easter, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Day, and the Three Kings' Day. In addition, each country celebrates its El Dia de Independencia. The term fiesta nacional refers to an official national holiday; las fiestas refer to festivals - local, regional, or national - that may be held only one day or may last several days. Most holidays are centered on or have their origins in religion. Many celebrations of the Catholic Church are officially designated by the government as holidays. National government offices may be closed or have limited hours for local or regional holidays.

Fútbol is much more than just a game in Latin America. It's almost a religion for the fans. Week after week millions of Hispanics passionately follow the soccer results. The country stops and the streets empty whenever an important partido de fútbol (soccer match) is being played. For those who don't live it with passion this is the perfect moment to go to the cinema, walk or do the shopping. None of these non-soccer lovers go to a bar or a cafeteria: They are packed with people watching the partido on TV, listening to the radio and shouting. Soccer is the "Deporte Rey" (King of Sports) in Latin America and, as someone said, a low-cost therapy to counter the problems of everyday life.