SPANISH CULTURE
By: Keara Watkins
DISEASES, ILLNESSES, HEALTHCARE
DISEASES & ILLNESSES
- Hepatitis A: A person can become infected with this disease if they come in contact with contaminated food and water in Spain.
- Hepatitis B: A person can become infected with this disease through sexual contact with other people from Spain. Also contaminated needles and blood products can infect someone.
- Rabies: Many bats in Spain have rabies and they tend to bite people. It's not a major risk to most travelers, but a vaccine is recommended before visiting the country.
HEALTHCARE
HEALTH STATISTICS
- Life Expectancy for Women: 85 Years
- Percentage of Obese Citizens: 13.1%
ACTIVITIES
GAMES
- Mus: This is the most popular card game in all of Spain. To play, 2 teams of 2 are dealt cards from the dealer. The team must agree on whether or not they want another card. The first team with cards that add up to 40, wins.
- Siete-y-Media: Translates to "Seven thirty". This is a game similar to Black Jack.
Board games are also very popular in Spain. Many of these games are similar to ones played in America. They play:
- Damas (Checkers)
- Dominó (Dominoes)
Children in Spain also play games that are similar to games that American children play. For example:
- Escondite (Hide 'n' Seek)
- Rayuela (Hopscotch)
- Gomas (Almost like jump rope)
SPORTS
- Fútbol: Soccer is the most popular sport in Spain. La Liga (The League), is one of Spain's soccer teams and is considered one of the best teams on the planet
- Bullfighting: corrida de toros (bullfighting) season is from March to October. In this sport, the flagmen hold out a red cape and trick the bull into running through it.
SPORTS STATISTICS
- 2012-13 Soccer UEFA Champions League: 2nd out of 49 teams
FOOD-TRADITIONS
DIET & NUTRITION
EATING STYLES
Breakfast: Coffee and some kind of bread (croissant, toast, pastries, etc.)
Lunch: Grilled sardines, basque tuna and potato casserole, chickpeas with sausage and paella, and a dessert.
Supper: A potato omelet, soup, and a salad.
Snacks: Garlic mushrooms, meatballs, or bread with some kind of meat (ham, salami, etc.) and cheese.
CELEBRATION FOODS
- La Tomatina Festival: The Spaniards love tomatoes so much that they've created a holiday where they throw tomatoes at each other! On this day, tomato sauce is served with everything: eggs, chicken, omelets, EVERYTHING.
FOOD STATISTICS
- Cannabis Use as of 1999: 7.58%
- Subway Restaurants as of 2006: 28
ALCOHOL, DRUGS, TOBACCO
SPAIN & ALCOHOL
- Selling alcohol in schools is forbidden.
- Drinking alcohol during sporting events is forbidden.
- Alcohol may not be advertised before 9:30 PM.
- Labels on alcoholic drinks must display the alcohol strength volume.
The list goes on.
SPAIN & DRUGS
- Cannabis
- Ecstasy
- Amphetamines
- Powder Cocaine
- Base Cocaine (Crack)
- Heroin
SPAIN & TOBACCO
ALCOHOL, DRUGS, & TOBACCO STATISTICS
- Alcohol's Prevalence as of 2011: 63.7% ages 15-34, 61.5% ages 35-64
- Cannabis' Prevalence as of 2011: 12.5% ages 15-34, 3.7% ages 35-64
- Tobacco's Prevalence as of 2011: 40.1% ages 15-34, 35.9% ages 35-64
FAMILY
FAMILY
SOURCES
Sports & Games:
http://maggiemaddy.weebly.com/sports.htmlhttp://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/Spain/Sports
http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/society/customs/spanish-games
Diseases, Illnesses, & Healthcare:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/spain
http://www.expatica.com/es/healthcare/Getting-healthcare-in-Spain_101467.html
http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/Spain/Health
Food-Traditions:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/404077-the-typical-diet-in-spain/
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/holidays-festivals-celebrations-traditions-spain-3445.html
http://europeantraveler.net/archives/travel-europe/valencia-fest.php
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/holidaysfeasts/a/latomatina.htm
http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/Spain/Lifestyle
Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco
http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/Spain/Lifestyle
http://www.eurocare.org/resources/country_profiles/spain
http://ec.europa.eu/health/alcohol/docs/ev_20080402_co01_en.pdf
http://www.culturespain.com/articles-about-spain/hooked-drugs-in-spain-and-the-gateway-to-hell/
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Spain#sthash.DuwnjaUX.dpbs
EXPLANATION OF CHOICE
Part of the reason I wanted to know more about Spain is because I'm taking Spanish II and my goal is to one day be fluent in the language. I've always wanted to visit Spain, but I never knew that there were so many things to do there. Many of the activities I had no idea about, and I didn't know how to play any of their popular games.
The other reason I wanted to study this culture is because of the movie "Cheetah Girls 2". They took a trip to Spain and it looked as if they had the time of their lives. The movie made it seem as if Spain was just like America, but with more exotic architecture and music. The food was all American and many of the Spaniards spoke English. I wanted to find out how accurate the movie was in comparison to the research I found.