Apparently, many people seem to think that Spain is a very big holiday resort, and that we only work a couple of hours a day.
There is the misunderstanding of the so-called 'siesta'. Many people actually think that after having lunch we have some time off to take a nap. We don't. And there are no big rooms with beds in the office either. The siesta is a nap that we take on a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon, just like my parents used to do in Belgium. I have the same 9 to 6 working hours like I had in Belgium.
And there is the myth that we have an incredible amount of holidays in a year. We don't. In Spain every region has its own festive holidays. So people in Barcelona have other holidays than people in Madrid. I have 14 holidays next year. I think that is the same amount as I had in Belgium. Nothing special there either.
So there is no need to envy us, especially because the wages in Spain normally are a lot lower than in other European countries and the United States.
4 comments:
Nice site! Thanks for visiting, and for the link.
speaking of holidays, where i live we have what we call economics of holidays. well according to a govt proclamation, "in order to spur domestic tourism and enable our countrymen to avail of the benefits of a longer weekend,". which simply means that dates sandwiched between a weekend and a holiday is not good for the nation's well-being, and should thus be eradicated by closing the apparent gap. Never mind if the essence of the holiday gets lost.
Amie, you guys are lucky. You win a couple of days every year like that, no?
I remember that in Belgium, when a holiday fell on a saturday or sunday, we could take the holiday on another day. But we don't even have that in Spain.
I'm visiting from Queens..(close enough to brooklyn)
Thanks for setting that myth straight.
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