Its modern linguistic normalization was brought about with the creation of, in 1907 by Prat de la Riba, the Institut d'Estudis Catalans, whose principal pursuit was higher scientific research of all the elements of the Catalan culture. It is at this famed Institut where Pompeu Fabra effected the regulation and grammatical systematization of the Catalan language; thus unifying spelling standards for its use in 1913.

Since 1979, both Castilian and Catalan are the official languages of Catalonia and since 1983 of the Balearic Islands. In 1982, the Autonomous Community of Valencia declared Castilian Spanish and Valencian, a local variation of the Catalan language, as co-official languages of the region.

Catalan is also spoken in some areas of Aragon and Murcia and outside of Spain in the French Roussillon region, the Principality of Andorra and in the Italian city of Alguer (Sardinia). It is the mother tongue of some 5 to 6 million people. Many Castilian/Spanish speaking people who live in any of these aforementioned areas speak and understand it.

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Castilian is also spoken in many countries around the globe which were former colonies of Spain, most of them in Central and South America (except Brazil and the Guyanas), but not exclusively, and that is a fact that many people are not aware of. Equatorial Guinea, the former Spanish territory of the Sahara, and parts of the Philippines still speak in Spanish.

This Makes Spanish/Castilian the official and cultural language of some 350 million people. These figures make the official language of the Spanish State, which is also the most widely spoken Romance language, an expressive instrument for a community that embraces the globe, spoken by people from many different ethnic backgrounds. The name of Castilian, and later on Spanish, really emerges from the re-conquest of Spain from the Moors by the Christians. The name Castilian has its origins in the Kingdom of Castile (Castilla), then a borderland that took its name from the castles that were built as garrisons against the enemy. It became the bridge of communication between the different peoples of the Iberian peninsula in the Late Middle Ages aided by the central position of the Castile and its growing prestige as leading power. 

The Spanish Royal Academy preferred to use "Castilian" (castellano) until the 1925 edition of its Dictionary, when it adopted the name of "Spanish" (español). The Real Academia Española, located in Madrid, is entrusted with "purifying, clarifying and giving splendour" to the language, in close contact with other Latin American academies, and mitigating the problems arising from the use of a language spoken in such a large geographic expanse. Its members are recruited from among the most prestigious literary creators and academics.

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The origin of Basque is not really traceable and there have been a number of hypotheses. It has been suggested that the forerunner of the Basque language was introduced into this part of Europe by immigrants from Asia Minor at the beginning of the Bronze Age (c. 2000 BC). Basque and Castilian entered history together, since the first text preserved in Castilian, the Código emilianense (c. 977), is also written in Basque.

Since 1982, Euskera has been the official language of the Basque provinces together with Castilian. The mountainous landscape of the region has contributed towards maintaining linguistic diversity, leading some linguists, based on the intercommunicative difficulties found, to claim the existence of seven different Basque languages. To overcome this fragmentation the Royal Academy of the Basque Language was created in 1919, and in 1968, a standardized Basque grammar called batúa was adopted for official purposes.

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Zara is one example of a Spanish company that has brought fashion fame to Spain. The clothing company is the most well known member of Inditex, a fashion empire made up of hundreds of factories and 1,080 shops in 33 different countries.

Inditex has clothed consumers in Europe, America, Japan, and the Middle East. High-profile Zara shoppers include Chelsea Clinton, who once successfully encouraged her then U.S. president dad to adjust his presidential schedule to accommodate a visit to the Zara store in Ankara while in Turkey.

The story ended up making headlines and creating a bit of free publicity for a company which, unlike its competitors, suffers from a calculated aversion to being announced in the media. The company also received publicity when the American model Cindy Crawford appeared unannounced in a Zara store in Canada.

Inditex and Zara are not the only companies that know how to attract the foreign market. El Corte Inglés, Loewe, Camper, Mango or Pronovias have also earned great international attention. The Spanish firm Pronovias makes wedding dresses, and it is the world’s largest producer of their specialty. Ever since its founding in 1965, the company’s success has only grown. There are 100 Pronovia stores in Spain, one in Paris, one in New York, and the brand is sold in 1,000 different stores in 40 different countries. Mango is another multi-national clothing company, with over 100 stores around the world. In 1998, Mango’s expansion was incredible, opening an average of 10 new stores a month. China and India are the latest countries to open new Mango stores and the company employs more than 4,000 people.

Behind these famous stores are Spanish designers who are busy setting new fashion trends. Some have established themselves first in Spain and then headed to other countries, others have first established themselves in other countries and later earned great respect in Spain.

Notable Spanish designers include Antonio Miró, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Pura López, whose products are distributed in Asia, Australia, Latin America, and much of Europe. Then there’s Amaya Arzuaga, Pedro del Hierro, Paco Rabanne, and more whose designs are sold internationally.

The designs of Sevillians Victory and Lucchino can be found in the best stores in New York, Paris, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan. Other designers have become well known by joining groups such as the Asociación Textil de Galicia, which has famous members including Adolfo Domínguez, Javier Cañas Caramelo, and Roberto Verino. Each member generates millions of Euros each year. Being members of the group has helped them become well known nationally and internationally.

Spanish models have also contributed greatly to Spanish fashion’s international recognition, many of whom enjoy the distinction of being referred to as top models. It is not unusual to see the images of Spanish models such as Eugenia Silva on New York’s 5th Avenue. Eugenia has also modeled on runways for Yves Saint Laurent, Prada and Christian Dior. She has also appeared on the cover of the Italian and American editions of Vogue and she has done ads for Oscar de la Renta and Clinique.

Vanesa Lorenzo’s image has also been on an enormous ad for Gap that appeared at the exit of JFK airport and in New York’s Times Square. Esther Cañadas, Inés Sastre, Laura Pone, Nieves Álvarez, Judith Mascó and Verónica Blume are also Spanish models who have walked on runways around the world and have helped bring recognition to Spain and Spanish.

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The Burial of the Sardine

In some parts of Spain and Latin America, on Ash Wednesday, an unusual ceremony called El Entierro de la Sardina (literally, the burial of the sardine) takes place. A large number of people get together to observe a centuries old annual tradition of burying a dead fish (or the likeness of one). This ceremony is based on the belief of burying, symbolically, our past in the hopes of creating a better and more fruitful future. The first image of this “burial” was painted by Spanish painter Francisco de Goya in an oil painting called, “El Entierro de la Sardina”, dated between 1812 and 1819.

This satirical ceremony simulates a burial procession of a sardine (real or fake), which gets solemnly paraded around the city streets in a coffin. Men and women dress up in black period costume clothes, with men sometimes daring to dress up as weeping widows with the typical black Spanish lace veil covering their heads. The sardine is the symbol of the past (a “liberating period”), while its death and burial represent the end of carnival season and the beginning of the religious fasting period as well as the possibility of rejuvenation and rebirth. People “mourn” their feelings of sadness over the ending of this festive season and how it implies the beginning of staunch religious observance.

In Madrid, the procession is headed by a person dressed up as a public official, and whose role consists of clearing the streets ahead of the procession to allow the passing of the carnival carriage. He is followed by revelers dressed as a priest, the priest's young assistant and the people charged with moving the funeral carriage. The wooden carriage is adorned with palms, flowers and other offerings including the sardine resting in its interior. The widow follows, confessing her “sins” to the priest and lamenting the death of the sardine with theatrical screams and weeping. Along the way someone dressed up as the Devil tries to prevent the passage of the sardine by trying to abduct it, but a group of “policemen” scare the devil away and maintain order among the procession attendees. When the sardine's carriage reaches its destination it is cremated while the crowd celebrates

Origin of this Carnival Tradition

There are a few theories as to the origin of this tradition, yet no one seems to know for sure which one is true. One of these theories dates back to the XVII century, when Charles III, King of Spain, who wanted to celebrate the end of carnival with the commoners. He ordered that sardines and wine were to be served at a countryside picnic. The weather that day was hot, very typical at the time of year, and the sardines began to smell due to the heat. Of course, with such a horrible smell permeating the air, everyone wanted the smell removed and realized the only way to do it was to bury them in the ground. After they were interred, the crowd wept at the thought of no longer getting free food and having to begin the pre-Easter period of abstinence.

Another theory goes that when Lent was dutifully observed by all, a small butchered pig or cerdina (cerdina is a diminutive of cerdo which is pig in Spanish) was buried on the first day of Lent in representation of the food they would have to sacrifice eating during this period. Because communication was transmitted orally, cerdina became sardina as the tradition passed on to other parts of the country.

Like many traditions in Spain, this peculiar festival is celebrated in different ways depending on where you are but the essence of the fiesta remains the same. A time of sacrifice and restraint is undertaken with a good natured sense of humor and an optimistic belief that the world can always be made a better place.

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Carnival in Spain is known for its vibrant costumes and masks; although the Carnival celebration in Spain is not as esthetically beautiful as in Venice nor as over the top and dance orientated as in Brazil. It is a charming event in which people of all ages participate and enjoy, even those with little resources. The event allows people to dress up, change their identity and feel freer than during the rest of the year. Participants dress according to their possibilities and imagination and take to the streets to celebrate both night and day; crazy days in which nothing is what it seems and anyone can become whoever or whatever they have always dreamed about being.

Carnival originated from a Roman celebration and extended throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. It can be traced back to Lent, the period of the year in which moral and food restrictions are imposed on followers. Before bidding farewell to certain passions such as meat during the Lent period, parties took place in which people ate and drank without control. Although many authorities throughout history have tried to prohibit the Carnival celebration, the festivities survived and are now more popular than ever.

Carnival in Spain usually begins with an opening speech delivered by a local celebrity. Next, the activities begin in the street, lasting for days depending on the city, with parades, costumes, contests and street theatre. The climax takes place on Carnival Tuesday, the last day in which meat can be consumed until Easter, and ends on Ash Wednesday with the Entierro de la Sardina tradition. The Burial of the Sardine is a parody of a funeral in which the sardine is buried, symbolically marking the farewell to life's pleasures and the arrival of Lent.

Carnival in Spain - Regional Variations

Spain, always diverse, boasts many different regional variations to its Carnival celebrations.

In northern Spain, in the Autonomous Community of Galicia, they celebrate antroido or entroido and in Asturias the festival is known as antroxu; all originating from Celtic celebrations. Special Galician masks known as peliqueiros or cigarróns are animal masks worn by modern versions of prehistoric shamans. In Asturias traditional frixuelos (crêpes) are eaten and the día de las comadres (Wive's Day) is celebrated in which women symbolically take power and celebrate in honor of the traditionally matriarchic society of the region.

The Spanish Carnival in the northeastern part of the county is enormously popular as well. In Solsona (one and half hours from Barcelona) the penjada del ruc is celebrated, literally translated as “the hanging of the donkey”, in which a stuffed donkey doll is hung from a rope off the roof of a building. Another mention goes to the town of Vilanova i la Geltru, 50 kilometers from Barcelona, which also managed to maintain its carnival traditions despite prohibitions in the area. The town is known for its meringue food fight, the moixo foguer; bird man character that runs through the streets or the arrivo event when the king of the Carnival arrives.

Ciudad Rodrigo, a city located one hour from Salamanca in Castile and Leon, has some of the most original Carnival traditions in all of Spain. The Carnival del Toro (Bull's Carnival) combines traditional running of the bulls events with Carnival. Hundreds of people run in front of the bulls during this curious fusion of Spanish traditions. Some run alongside the bulls on horseback, a unique feature in Ciudad Rodrigo's Carnival celebrations.

Perhaps the most intensely celebrated Carnival event in Spain likely takes place in southern Spain and the Canary Islands. The largest fiestas are found in Cadiz, in Andalusia, and Tenerife in the island of Las Palmas. The festivities in these parts of Spain attract the largest amounts of people and are broadcast on national television.

The appearance of these Spanish Carnival celebrations is similar to those found in Brazil or the Caribbean, likely because these cities were some of the most important ports during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Music is an important protagonist in all Carnival celebrations and often time there are music competitions between groups on stage or throughout the streets.

The comparsas groups perform throughout the streets with coordinated dances and Latin American music. Other groups known as the chirigotas or murgas sing songs a cappella or accompanied by some homemade instrument. The musicians perform satirical songs based on actuality. The irreverent songs performed maintain the musical tradition of Carnival celebrations during medieval times.

Another Carnival tradition is the election of the Carnival Queen. These events are similar to traditional beauty pageants in which beauty, originality and the meticulous costumes are taken into account. In fact, the costumes and elaborate that they can reach up to 200 kilos (440 lbs) in weight and need to be supported by complex frames.

Buy a mask for Carnival and come to Spain in February to celebrate with us!

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Carnival in Cadiz is said to be the third largest Carnival celebration in the world (after Rio de Janeiro and Trinidad). Both European jet-setters and locals know and crave the intense energy that pervades the city during the ten days leading up to Shrove Tuesday. It seems that everyone within a thousand-mile radius show up to partake in the fun. Many visitors choose to snooze on park benches or stay up all night instead of booking hotel rooms.

Cadiz is a quiet and serene city on the Andalusian coast, except when it plays host to Spain's ultimate party. The fun began in the 17th century when the city of Cadiz tried to keep up with the decadent carnival celebrations in Venice and Genoa. The crews of the Spanish galleons that brought back gold and silver to Cadiz from the New World also brought back a variety of musical influences that are still evident at today's Carnival revelry. African and Creole rhythms, sambas, rangeuras and rustic Colombian tunes all intermingle in the streets with local Andalusian jaleo songs and traditional flamenco music.

As often happens in Spain, preparations for Carnival seem a bit last-minute and haphazard, but everything comes together beautifully in the end. Black-clad abuelas hang garlands across the tiny, twisting alleys, and street vendors set up their displays of toys and fruit just an hour or two before the throngs descend. Stages are set up in every plaza for musical acts, comedians and children's performances. And there are also rock concerts featuring some of Spain's most popular groups in the Plaza de Catedral. Another treat is the daily "La Toronda" (The Thunder), a massive, eardrum-shattering of firecrackers that takes place in the Plaza San Juan de Dios.

For those seeking more conventional pleasure, the Carnival roster includes numerous raucous parades, dancing children, exhuberant costumes and beauty pageants. And, in the Parque Genrives, there is a midway of carnival rides that one must see to believe! It becomes so crowded in the tiny, cobblestoned streets that at times the city looses shape and metamorphoses into a mountain of people.

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Start your journey in Madrid, where the celebration of La Candelaria is particularly popular- though the celebration doesn’t have very much to do with baby Jesus! Clowns dressed as Andalusian farmers bring out vaquillas (young cows) made of wood with wheels and with a large set of horns on top. Mock bullfighters dressed in multicolored silk pants along with paper flowers and bows. As they parade through the streets they perform hilarious bullfights moving around town all day long. At the end of the day in the town plaza, the bull is ""killed,"" and sangria is passed around, symbolizing the fallen blood of the bull.

Perhaps you're not a bullfighting fan, even when it's with wooden bulls, but maybe you like cold cuts? Well then head to A Pobra de Trives, in the Galician province of Ourense, where there is the ""Festa dos Chourizos"", or the Chorizo Sausage Festival. This festival draws people from miles around to taste locally made homemade sausages cooked by bonfires that also symbolize huge candles.

In other towns, parades and processions are the order of the day. In Malaga, for example, a young girl from the village leads the parade in honor of Our Lady of Candelaria, eventually reenacting the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Menasalbas, in Toledo, holds a horseback parade in which 11 riders and their 22 footmen carry torches throughout the town.

If parades, sausages and mock bullfights still don’t capture your attention, never fear, there's still plenty more to choose from. Dancing, feasting and horse races occur in many different areas of Spain and but in one particular town there is even a demon parade! In Almonacid del Marquesado, in the province of Cuenca, hundreds of ""devils"" dress in colorful outfits and jump and dance through the streets of the village.

On the island of Tenerife the Virgin of Candelaria, patron of the Canary Islands, thousands of people arriving on foot from every part of the island meet in the town of Candelaria, just south of the city of Santa Cruz. The Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria is located here and is the center of worship dedicated to this Virgin in the Canary Islands.

Whether you’re in the north, south, east or west, as long as you’re in Spain this is a day to celebrate the coming end of winter. This is a day to make dance, eat, drink and, if you like, make an offering at a local church. If you find yourself in the Canary Islands, don’t forget that this is a holiday where all the stores are closed.

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Spanish Bars and Tapas

One thing to keep clear for the typical foreigner is that in Spain most bars double as restaurants and vice versa. They serve as meeting points, social establishments, places to play games, watch football games, chat, have coffee, drink, eat, party or pretty much any other excuse is a good one, which explains why there are so many. A typical bar will boast an interesting array of “pinchos” or “tapas” (small snack size portions of food) that vary by region and are often discounted or even sometimes included in your drink price. Doubling as restaurants, most bars will also offer daily menus (3 course meal for a fixed price), “platos combinados” (one plate with various items) and rations (large appetizers) which are often shared between the whole group for lunch or dinner. Of course another frequent option is to “ir de pinchos” which consists of going from one bar to the next and enjoying a different “tapa” in each until you have essentially had your meal.

Mediterranean Cuisine

The cuisine you can expect to find can be shocking for some and heaven on earth for others. However, there is one adjective which can safely categorize most of the food; “Mediterranean”. Spaniards are proud of their Mediterranean diet and often brag about how they have the best and most healthy food in the world. Mediterranean cuisine is often characterized by its wide range of ingredients with meals based on fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, an abundance of bread, pasta, rice and other grain foods, “frutos secos” (nuts, sunflower seeds, etc), extra virgin olive oil, garlic, fish, seafood, poultry, various types of meat, cheese and yogurt, and of course wine. This healthy and rich diet, which is traditionally found around the Mediterranean Sea, is considered one of the healthiest in the world.

The next thing that any tourist will quickly discover is that Spaniards have their own dining timeline which is very different from most countries. It is important to keep this in mind as you plan your activities and to take full advantage of the local cuisine.

Spanish Breakfast

Breakfast or “desayuno” in the Spanish culture is easily the least important meal of the day, occurring first thing in the morning until about 10:00 am. Many Spaniards skip breakfast but if they do have breakfast it will likely be something light and simple which may consist of coffee, hot chocolate or fresh squeezed orange juice accompanied by a croissant, pastry, or toast with jam. Another common breakfast pastry which you will often see available in bars are “churros”, fried Spanish fritters with sugar.

After such a light breakfast, from around 10:30 to noon, you can expect to find bars full of workers for their morning coffee breaks enjoying a beverage and a small snack to help them survive until lunch time.

Spanish Lunch

Lunch, the most important meal of the day, generally consists of several courses starting with a light first course such as soup or salad, a heavier second course of meat or fish, fruit or a pastry as dessert, followed by coffee or shots of traditional liquor afterwards. The whole meal is accompanied by bread and also wine and water. Lunch and the famous “siesta” (nap) time occur from 2 until 4 pm and it is recommended that anyone visiting Spain plan accordingly since most shops and establishments close during this time to allow for their workers to make their way home to eat. Although this pause still exists, the famous siesta time is rarely used for sleeping but rather transportation as people gradually live farther and farther away from their workplaces.

Spanish Dinner

Due to this midday lunch break, many workers do not get out of work until around 8 pm. Typically, this is when they will have a small snack or “merienda” to get them through until dinner time. Dinner, similar to lunch but usually lighter, is a late affair in Spain which is normally served from 9 to 10:30 pm. In the summer time it is common to see Spaniards sitting down to dine as late as 12 am!

Typical Spanish Dishes

Once you have accustomed yourself to these times and customs, you are ready to discover the diversity of Spanish cuisine. Depending on the region you are visiting, the “typical” dishes can vary, but here are some dining tips:

• Fish: A staple part of the Mediterranean diet. Especially good in coastal regions and large cities with a wide variety to choose from, you can experiment.
• Lamb: Especially popular in Northern Spain.
• Pork and Cured meats: Spain is famous for its ham and pork products such as cured Serrano ham and “chorizo”.
• Shellfish/Seafood: Abundant in many regions and meals such as the world renowned Spanish “paella” rice dish. Also recommended is “pulpo” (octopus) often served with potatoes and paprika and calamari (fried squid).
• Wine: “vino de la casa” (house wine), “vino tinto” (red wine), ""vino blanco ""(white wine), or ""vino rosado"" (rosé).
• Cheese: There are hundreds of varieties ranging from light, medium to strong in flavor and made from cow, sheep, or goat milk. The most known cheeses are Manchego and Cabrales.
• Offal: For the brave, Spaniards make use of most parts of the animals they eat. You can try typical dishes such as “callos” (tripe or stomach lining), “jeta” (pig mug), “riñones” (kidneys), “criadillas” (testicles), “lengua” (tongue), “crestas de gallo” (rooster combs), “morcilla” (blood sausage), and the list goes on.

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Why and when to visit

The health advantages of organic foods are not the only advantage to shopping at local markets. Spain's geography and climate mean that different regions (dry, mountainous, coastal etc.) grow different types of crops, fish different types of seafood and farm different types of livestock. This means that Spain has one of the world's most diverse menus, from full-bodied stews in the north to marinated pigs snout in the centre and fresh prawn salads in the south. Restaurants stock up daily on produce from the markets to bring us the freshest, healthiest dishes on the continent.

Spanish food markets are found in almost every town or village, some are daily and some are weekly, in larger towns and cities markets are generally open from 8am until 2pm, Monday to Saturday, every week. By far one of the most impressive markets in Spain is La Boquería in Barcelona which, if you visit the city, is a must. Whether you're searching for ingredients for a fine meal or just wandering through it is an assault on the senses; sights and smells range from fish to fruit, and that is not to mention the colourful sweet counters bound to impress children and adults alike.

What to buy?

The Spanish climate means that most fruit and vegetables are home-grown. The perfectly rounded apples and smooth peppers we are used to in other European supermarkets are nowhere to be seen here. Fruit and vegetables in Spain are GM-free meaning that they may appear haggard or lumpy, this however simply equates to a stonger and more natural flavour and texture. Products that are generally quite small in the UK, such as garlic cloves and spring onions are considerably larger here too. Herbs and spices can be ordered in by the grocer if you ask, that is of course if it is not already sat in a pot plant behind the counter ready to be freshly snipped.

Bulls' testicles, pig snout, rabbit anyone? Thought not, but don't be too hasty to refuse a taste. Much of the meat in Spain may not be, let's say, conventional but its popularilty must mean something. The meat counters in Spanish food markets are not for the light-hearted, fillets and organs are cut out of the carcass for you while you wait and no part of the animal is wasted. Brain, trotters and snout are all laid out on trays waiting to be bought! Why not be adventurous and choose something you wouldn't normally go for, ask the vendor for a recipe (if you speak Spanish) who will be only too willing to introduce you to Spanish cuisine.

The freshest food of all in Spain is the seafood! As the woman in wellingtons and an overcoat behind the counter asks you want you want she is probably being sprayed with squid juice by the fish-monger next to her, who is neatly chopping up squid tenticles. Meanwhile the baby lobsters are scurrying over the cod fillets and the crabs have settled in a bed of boiled prawns. Seafood is one of the country's most famous specialities, you can be fairly sure that whatever you order from the menu in a restaurant has been bought that day and probably caught the day before that!

Visiting markets is an excellent way of getting to know a new place, seeing what the locals eat, and how they eat it, working out how much things cost and also discovering how people deal with eachother. The added bonus of Spanish markets is that the food is second to none, it is tasty, fresh, organic, and healthy!

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