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¿Viva la siesta? |  |
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La siesta, the idyllic long lunch and snooze, was once regarded as part of Spain's cultural heritage, but today it is fast becoming an endangered pleasure. As the Spanish economy has awakened in recent years to become one of the fastest growing in Europe, so this ritual sleep is vanishing.
Much of Latin America has adopted similar work schedules. The Mexican government recently passed a law limiting la hora de comer, lunchtime, to one hour. Rather than take two or three-hour lunch breaks, then return to work until late in the evening, the law now stipulates that employees must work their eight-hour shift, usually referred to as el turno, between 7am and 6pm, in the hope that this will cut down on electricity costs run up in the evening. Not everyone has accepted this move towards more rigid work practices. Some Spanish people have sprung to the defence of la siesta in the name of tradition and la salud, good health. And in true capitalist style, la siesta has been reinvented to fit in with Spain's corporate schedule. You can now buy your siesta - in the form of a five-minute massage and a half-hour nap - in the new Masajes stores, massage parlours that have sprung up in Barcelona, Madrid and Seville. If you are doing business in Spain or Latin America, learning to negotiate business and opening hours could prove very important. Increasingly, many businesses across the Spanish-speaking world will be open throughout the day, observing hours of 9am to 5pm. In the hot months of July and August however, when most people take las vacaciones de verano, summer holidays, hours may change to 8.30 am to 4.30pm, Monday to Thursday, and 8.30am to 2pm on Friday, allowing people a longer weekend. |
Today only a quarter of the population, mostly in the hotter parts of southern Spain as opposed to the cooler northern regions, are regular siesta-takers - the rest no longer have time. In addition, more women are out at work, so those traditionally responsible for preparing