Culture in Spain

Culture in Spain
A common casual greeting involves a kiss on each cheek, starting with the left. This form of greeting is especially common between women. Men may be more likely to kiss women hello and goodbye than to shake their hand.
A firm handshake with eye contact and a smile is the appropriate greeting in professional contexts.
Once people become acquainted, greetings become a lot warmer and Spaniards often prefer to embrace (abrazo). This may involve a hug accompanied with a pat on the shoulder or elbow (between men)
Some Spanish men may place their left hand on the right forearm of another person when shaking hands to indicate warmth.
In formal settings, you may refer to someone using their professional or personal titles – for example, ‘Señor’ (Mr) for men and ‘Señora’ (Ms) for women. However, it is rare for someone’s friends to address them using their title and surname. Spaniards move onto a first name basis very quickly, even in professional settings.
The common verbal greeting is “Buenos dias” (Good day), “Buenas tardes” (Good afternoon) or “Buenas noches” (Good evening/night) depending on the time of day. People may also say “¿Como está?” (How are you).
A more casual greeting is “Hola” (Hello).

Family
The family (familia) is the most important aspect of most Spaniard’s lives. Spaniards tend to manage their personal problems through their family, relying on relatives (parientes) for support when in difficult situations. This family network of support was particularly crucial during the financial crisis and recession when many Spaniards lost their jobs. Some people had to move back into their family home after years of independent living.

Spain has one of the lowest birthrates in Europe. Some Spaniards attribute this to a lack of commitment to long-term relationships as well as financial instability. However, most couples generally aim to have children if they can. Traditionally, Spanish families have been focused on the social and interpersonal aspects of child development. For example, Spanish children generally do not have a set bedtime as is common in the English-speaking West. Pre-teen children are usually allowed to stay up late with their parents and parents’ friends at restaurants long past 10pm. They often play with the children of other families whilst their parents socialise.