Cultural Differences Between the USA and Spain

Hi! I’m Mara and I’m studying as a high school exchange student in Spain for 9 months this year. Spain has been a rollercoaster so far. There've been a ton of ups, a few downs (as to be expected!), and days full of adrenaline and excitement. I’ve been here a month, and I already love it – my host family, the town I live in, the delicious food… and so much more. But there have definitely been some cultural adjustments too! In this blog, I’m going to write about a few differences between the culture in the USA and the culture in Spain that I’ve noticed in the first month. 

#1: The “Dos Besos” 

In Spain, it is usual to do a greeting called “dos besos,” which literally translates to “two kisses” in English. This greeting is most often used with friends and family. When you go to say “hi” when you’re first meeting, you’ll do two kisses on each other’s cheek. It’s very quick and easy – you don’t actually kiss their cheek, rather press your cheeks together (starting on the left: it avoids any awkward collision!) and make a kissing noise. Then you move to the other cheek and do it again. After that, you’re all done. It’s a simple and friendly way to express mutual happy feelings toward seeing one another. If you’re planning on coming to Spain, you’ll come across the “dos besos.” My piece of advice: don’t stress it. After some practice you’ll get used to doing it and even see some “dos besos” improvement (though I’m still getting the hang of it)!

#2: Mealtimes 

Another surprising difference between Spain and the U.S. is the eating times. While here, it’s definitely been an adjustment to change my schedule so much. 

In Spain, on the days while I have school, I’ll wake up around 6:45 to get ready to leave my house for the bus stop at 7:15. In the U.S., I eat oatmeal, cereal, or toast for breakfast. In Spain, this is different. Here, I might have a glass of juice for desayuno, a small yogurt, or nothing at all. Breakfast is not a big meal, rather something light to keep you sustained until lunch. 

My school day ends at 2:30, and I leave immediately to take a bus home. Once home, my host father (who’s a cook) will have a dish of whatever meal we’re having for the day (sometimes pasta, sometimes soup, or a unique Spanish dish I haven’t tried yet) left out for me on the table to eat. I start eating almuerzo about 3:20 – the time I get home from the bus. A common misconception here is that we’ll have lunch at the school. In Spain, this is not true! We will get a 30-minute break (called “recreo”) during the school day to eat a snack – usually I eat fruit, but it is most common to bring a small sandwich called a “bocadillo.” This break gives us a little time to eat and stretch our legs, but we don’t eat “lunch.” There are no lunchrooms at the schools here! 

Another shock of moving here is the cena times. At home in the U.S., we’ll eat dinner around 6:30 or 7pm. Here, it is wildly different. The first night in Spain, we ate cena at 11 pm. On school nights, because I’m in a family with younger kids, we eat earlier – around 9:30 or 10:30. Though you can never really know what time you’ll be staying up to eat until… The latest supper time so far was 12:30 am! 

#3: Vaping and Smoking Culture 

To some, the smoking culture in Europe might be negative. To others, it doesn’t matter. It all depends on your opinions and practices surrounding cigarettes and vapes. However, in the United States, I would argue that smoking and vaping is often looked down upon and quickly noticed. Oftentimes, it is required to smoke outside in restaurants and other establishments as well. While this can be true in some places in Spain, I would argue that smoking is widely accepted and permitted in more places than in the U.S. It is commonplace for adults and teenagers to participate in smoking and vaping day-to-day. Many classmates from my school vape, and teachers, adults, and host-family members in my life smoke. It’s a noticeable difference compared to back home, but it doesn’t bother me here. In truth, it’s just a part of the Spanish (and much of Europe’s) culture, and I’ve learned to adjust to it! However, it was one of the biggest cultural differences that I noticed coming here. 

Concluding Thoughts 

While cultural differences can be challenging to adjust to at times, it’s important to remember that these differences can give us a fresh perspective on others and life across the world. It’s vital that all aspects of a culture can be acknowledged, especially while studying abroad. Respecting and doing your best to adjust and understand these cultural differences will make your study abroad experience all the more enriching and fulfilling!  

If you are interested in studying abroad during high school, you can apply here or you can schedule a call with an Enrollment Coordinator to start planning.     

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