Enjoy unique gastronomic festivals

November is a month of events and festivals in Madrid, designed to satisfy all palates. If you are a jazz lover, for example, you will love the International Jazz Festival that takes place throughout the month. This festival will not only offer you more than 100 musical performances, but also jazz-related discussions, film screenings and exhibitions. On the other hand, the Madrid en Danza festival starts on November 18 and stands out for its innovative aesthetics and its commitment to international and local dance.

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Another dish you must try is the famous cochinillo de Segovia. Just an hour from Madrid, the city of Segovia will surprise you with its medieval beauty and, after a great walk, you can calm your stomach with this local specialty. And if you want your gastronomic route to go one step further, why not make a reservation at Casa Botín? Recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest restaurant in the world, Casa Botín was founded in 1725 and its specialties are typically madrilenians and Castellan dishes.

And, of course, don't forget to try the churros con chocolate, which are considered part of a typical breakfast in Spain... Because there's no better way to start a cold winter day than with churros and a good cup of chocolate.

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Let the weather guide your stomach

Let's start with everyone's favorite topic: food! Spanish gastronomy is known for its long tradition of seasonal dishes, tapas and drinks (just try to find a person who drinks gazpacho in winter, we dare you!). The weather, so cool, is perfect for comer con cuchara (eating with a spoon) and, as Spaniards, a good, healthy cocido madrileño. The city's most famous, cocido madrileño, is cooked with garbanzo (chickpeas), vegetables and meat. Other hot and traditional dishes in Madrid are callos (yes, they're beef intestines, but trust us... they're delicious!) and garlic soup.

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4.- The length of the school year in Spain:

The school year in Spain lasts over nine months, distributed into three different trimestres (trimesters) separated by vacation periods at the end of each term. The first one coincides with fall months (from September to December), and closes with the Holiday Season. The second one comes with the entry of winter, and ends with the arrival of spring and the Easter holidays (January - April). Finally, we reach the end of the term with the third trimester, which runs until the end of June.

At universities, the academic year is divided into cuatrimestres (quarters). The first one goes from October to January and the second one from February to May.

5.- The longed-for vacations

If there’s something we all like (whether we are students or workers), that is the vacation period. After months of routine and daily effort, we count the days we have left to enjoy that rest we were waiting for so much.

The first holiday period comes with Christmas. Spain is a country of Catholic tradition, and two of the three main holiday periods commemorate this kind of festivities. At Christmas, holidays are usually extended for two weeks for schoolchildren. This is because the day of the Three Wise Men (January 6) is an important celebration, as most of us receive and make gifts throughout that day.

After the Holiday Season, we must wait until Easter to have a break again (except for students in the Canary Islands, who enjoy a week in carnival). This vacation period (10 days in the Peninsula and Balearic Islands and 7 in the Canary Islands) is usually re-scheduled every year since it comes from a pagan holiday and it’s celebrated on the first full moon of the spring season.

Finally, we close the cycle again with summer vacations. In Spain, this period lasts from the last week of June (for most educational stages) until the month of September (the week depends on the different regions and the educational stage as we have already commented before). Besides, many schoolchildren take advantage of these months to sign up for summer camps to make the most of their time.

Apart from these and depending on each term’s school calendar, there are other public holidays and celebrations.

We hope this post helps you to organize the new school term. Ready to keep your studies up-to date?

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2.- Education in Spain

In Spain, we talk about Centros de Educación Primaria and Centros de Educación Secundaria (the so-called institutos), as far as compulsory education is concerned. Children must go to school since they’re 6 years old (although most start at the age of 3) and remain studying at least until they’re 16.

When students finish compulsory education in Spain, they have different options to continue studying: they can do either bachillerato (High School) to access to a ciclo formativo de grado superior (Higher Professional Training) or University; or just a ciclo formativo de grado medio (Basic Vocational Training).

If you want to go further, go to our website and learn more about the Spanish Education System.

3.- When does the school year begin in Spain?

The new school year will begin between the first and second week of September , depending on the region and the corresponding educational stage.

In the case of the so-called escuelas de primaria (Primary Schools), the academic year starts around September 10; while institutos (High Schools) and centros de FP (Vocational Education Centers) get started around September 15. Besides, university students normally wait until the end of September or even the beginning of October to go back to their lessons.

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