Article about Spain and its Time Zone/Schedule

[Wanderista]

I just saw this article. Since there are so many people on here who know Spain well, I am curious what you think about it. I, myself, do not know Spain so I won't judge on an issue like this. I would be happy to hear the opinions of people who know the culture better though.

My questions are: How much credibility or "steam" does this movement have in Spain? Is it a serious policy consideration or just something that some people talk about? What are the social/cultural/regional/political lines on this kind of issue? I guess I'm wondering if this article is reflecting a "real" debate in Spain or whether this is something that is mostly talked about by expats/foreign press/foreign multinationals? If Spain were to change its schedule or even its time zone, how much effect do you think it would have on the economy?

I'm just curious.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/02/18/spain_time_change_proposal_the_land_of_10_p_m_dinners_shouldn_t_change_a.html


Article about Spain, its mealtimes and the economy

Sorry for the weird gray box, I'm a little rusty about posting links on GBCN.

[dulcemariamar]

If they move the clocks back I think people are just going to end up working more hours. People are used to eating late and staying up late. It is part of the culture. So it taking long lunches. I think the worst thing is the mentality of staying at work to save face even if you are not working. Nobody really dares to leave work before six. I think it is more common for people to leave after 7. If you dont get home until 8 then you basically push everything back.

Plus, the whole concept of siesta still makes sense. When it is hot, people are not leaveing their homes to go shopping or to do errands. In the summer, the streets are dead between 2-5. It is way too hot. There are a lot of small businesses still in Spain. It wouldnt make sense for them to stay open if nobody is going to go their store. That is why they close midday.

[potatopie]

Southern Italy has a similar pace of life (though they don't eat dinner quite as late). But I like the idea of eating a big meal in the middle of the day and something lighter later. Makes for easier digestion and less hassle in the evening when you want to wind down.

I also like the siesta, like dulcemariamar said, especially when it's hot. Then things stay open into the evenings, so you can do errands and such then.

[Wanderista]

That's interesting. Yeah, I'm not judging the schedule at all myself, I just wondered what people with more experience in the culture think. That article definitely did not mention the later working hours. I agree that having a big meal in the middle of the day is a good idea. Frankly, I tend to not get very hungry in the morning when I wake up. Also, I find that if I have a nice, substantive lunch, I can feel more productive. I also think that sometimes you can think more creatively when you take a break and then come back to task.

Anyway, thanks for your feedback. I guess it sounds like this article was written without too much local context. I wasn't too sure of how serious this kind of consideration is locally in Spain.