How to Make New Friends in Spain

Once among the most powerful countries of the world, Spain still remains an influential presence in Europe’s economic and cultural scene. While it may have lost much of its economic prowess of colonial times, Spain continues to attract visitors on the strength of its rich, varied culture and thriving nightlife. So if you are planning to visit or even stay for a while, here are a few pointers on making new friends in Spain.

Brush up the language

Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, heard throughout central and South American countries which were former Spanish colonies, and more recently in the USA due to migration from its southern neighbours as well as in pockets in Africa and Asia. Thus is quite likely for foreigners to arrive with some basic knowledge of Spanish while arriving in Spain but even if you don’t know the language, make an effort to pick up the basics since this will give you a definite edge when mingling with the locals here. Spanish is in fact quite an easy language to learn and pronounce, especially if you already speak French or Italian or know some Latin.

Respond to friendly overtures

The Spanish are very social people and both men and women are generally open to making new friends. People here are quite informal in their social interactions; they stand near each other when engaged in discussions and are not squeamish about physical contact. Here people of both sexes, even when married, are allowed to kiss friends, family and acquaintances as a form of greeting. However as a newcomer, it may be best to start off with the polite form ‘usted’ except when addressing young children and use the familiar form ‘tu’ when you are invited to be on first-names basis. Also upon being introduced to foreigners, the Spanish may begin with some formality and older people in particular prefer to maintain a certain reserve. However relationships quickly relax and you may find yourself on familiar terms with your new Spanish friends much sooner than with friends from other parts of Europe. Indeed the Spanish can seem disconcertingly direct too – it is common to find them dispense away with courteous phrases such as ‘please’, ‘excuse me’ and ‘thank you’ in daily interactions while on the plus side, men are never slow to compliment ladies on their looks just as women do not suffer fools easily. Incidentally when in Spain you may keep hearing about someone, especially a woman having carácter. In Spanish culture, carácter is not a word that refers to a personal moral leanings or even personality as a whole, but that feisty bit in Spanish people that wells up to sort out minor injustices and annoyances in public life but which will just as quickly come to the defense of a friend or family member.

The informality that marks Spanish culture is even seen in many aspects of their lifestyle – here people are laidback and are rarely found rushing to work or scurrying to catch the train. Indeed the concept of siesta, or an afternoon nap, is still common here even though modern work schedules are making it less practical now.

Where to meet new people

The best way to meeting new people here is to get invited to parties and gatherings which are a regular feature of Spanish life. Young men and women get together after classes if they are students or after working hours if they are professionals. You can also find Spanish girls and guys heading for the café and bar in groups but probably checking out potential partners just like everybody else.

Local festivals and celebrations are another great way of meeting new people and making friends. Spain is a land of fiestas. Almost every city, town and village has a fiesta, at least once a year. Usually a fiesta is organized on the part of the town to honor its patron saint. People in Spain like to have fun and the fiesta is the time to celebrate. Most of the fiestas are very colorful events when the men and women put on the local costumes and cook the food their region is famous for. This is yet another way you can make friends I Spain – by sharing their love of good food. The Spaniards are especially famous for their Paella and in fact each region of Spain has its own version of the rice dish. Then again if you want to impress your Spanish friend or date, you better find about various kinds of wine the country offers, especially the sangria which has become quite famous globally. Also there is a particular kind of ham which is appreciated among the Spanish, known as the “pata negra”, this comes from the province of Huelva and is considered both healthy and a delicacy. The great variety of flavorful food and drink available in Spain makes for wonderful socializing opportunities as well and many a friendship and romance are struck up over display cooking skills or discussions on Spanish food and wines.

Make space for the family

Spanish life is essentially rooted in the family. Even in modern times when kinship networks are getting looser, the bonds among the members of a family continue to the primary building blocks of larger communal and social bonds. Thus you can expect your Spanish friends to be quite close to their parents and often place greater priority on family occasions rather than casual get-togethers with friends. On holidays and feast days, it is common for a house may be filled with siblings, cousins, grandparents as well as uncles and aunts from every side. If you have been invited to a friend’s house on such an occasion, consider it a great honor even though all this maybe a little overwhelming for you, especially if you come from a more individualist culture. The easiest way to impress your friend would be to charm your way through his/her family; so don’t forget to bring some nicely-wrapped gourmet chocolates for Mama as well as some fine wine for Papa. Most of all, be courteous and respectful to the elder members of the family and generously compliment Grandma on her delicious risotto. On the upside once you are accepted by the family, you can be assured of lifelong friendships and even a support network to fall upon in times of need.