Although Spain has a bright sun, the apartments and houses where the Spanish people live are always closed to natural light, which raises the question.
"The Spaniards seem to be afraid of the light," says Dutch Caroline Georgians, who has lived in Spain since 2005. The first thing that surprised Caroline when she arrived in Spain from Amsterdam is the number of houses that close their windows or put heavy curtains on them. "They close windows or put heavy curtains all year until winter when it is not hot," Caroline said. The Dutch do the opposite, because we need the light of nature all the time. "
Although the shutters of shuttered windows are just tales, in Spain they are part of popular culture and are almost always closed, not only because the Spaniards receive more light hours, they receive between 2,500 and 3,000 hours Of light annually as an average, compared to the average 1600 hours received by countries such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, but there are other reasons more important.
Life through windows
A Spanish traveling to Central Europe can confirm that the daily life of his neighbors can be fully seen through the windows. This open display, without windows or curtains can not be located in Spain. "In Spain, the customs of Arab culture are deeply rooted, such as living inside the house, keeping the interior of the house as beautiful as the courtyard of the house, and glancing quickly through windows," says Caroline.
It is a striking contrast to the reformist idea in the Protestant countries of Central Europe that the house must remain open "to show the honesty of the guests and to prove that the owner of the house is not afraid to appear poor or rich, and for the Dutch, the absence of two screens or curtains for the window shows readiness Owners of the house to share their information with others, to say that there is nothing we want to hide from others, "says Caroline Sharha.
Although he knows the Spaniards are an open people, they love to protect their own lives, and may be friendly with their neighbors, but do not invite them to a cup of coffee or tea, for example. "They know their neighbors in the street more than they do at home," says sociologist Carlos Barragas. They care a lot about knowing the lives of others, but they are less interested in making others know anything about their lives, so they put barriers in front of others to prevent them from seeing their lives. "
Here comes the role of religion. "Catholicism involves a lot of interest in what is said about you, which makes you act in an unrighteous manner, or do nothing obscene except inside the house, so you have to put barriers, such as windows shutters or curtains that separate Your home from others abroad, allowing you to do anything you do not want others to see you doing. "
Stay away from discomfort
Sometimes problems can arise between neighbors as a result of discomfort from each other, and it may even come to justice. Last November, a 70-year-old man complained that his neighbor accused him of displaying his body. "This neighbor may have seen me before I dressed in the early morning and I am going to the kitchen to make coffee," he wrote. "This problem can be solved by using curtains or windows It is closed, although Spanish law allows a man to do what he wants in his home.
Spaniards receive more light hours only,
They receive between 2500 and 3,000 hours
Of light annually as average, compared
With an average of 1600 hours for countries such as
United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
- Although he knows about the Spaniards as people
Open-minded, they love to protect their own lives. Perhaps
They are friendly with their neighbors, but they do not call them
To a cup of coffee or tea, for example.