Country comparison Spain and Armenia Preface SPAIN Spain

Country comparison Spain and Armenia

Preface • SPAIN Spain has an ancient and varied culture—very distinct from the cultures of Latin America…though it does share a language and some general customs with its former colonies. Getting to know Spain’s own varied culture will deepen your understanding and enrich your time there. • ARMENIA • Armenian culture and its customs go far back in history. Armenians are often characterized as hospitable, friendly, and kind people who respect elders, have a gentle attitude to children, and have strong family values. Here are some of the customs travelers should know a bit about before visiting the country.

Familys • SPAIN The Spanish family, especially in the south, is not only about dad, mom, children, grandparents. There also numerous aunts, uncles, nephews, brother-in-law, sister-in-law and even godparents. When they all come to dine in a restaurant on Sunday, the waiters have to move several tables together at once, and everyone else has to pinch their ears, because they will talk for so long and emotionally, as if they had not seen each other for ages. • ARMENIA The family social structure is very important to Armenians. Children are highly regarded and are the center of attention in households until they reach adulthood. Traditionally, women had the important duty of passing on the culture, customs, and traditions to the children. In adulthood, they are expected to take on these responsibilities. •

FOOD • SPAIN The basis of the history of Spanish food of course has to do with its geographical situation. First of all, the country is located on the Iberian peninsula and is therefore almost entirely surrounded by the waters. Naturally, due to this fortunate location, seafood forms one of the pillars of Spain's gastronomy and categorizes the country as having a Mediterranean diet. • ARMENIA Like anywhere, the best food in Armenia is home cooking. No restaurant can begin to compete with the lavish attention and extraordinary dishes Armenians create in their kitchens. The table often groans under courses served at the same time, and it is considered an affront to refuse to taste everything, the cook often considering it a bad reflection on her culinary skills.

DANCE • SPAIN FLAMENCO Undoubtedly one of the most famous cultural exports from Spain, flamenco is in fact so much more than just a dance: it’s an art form recognised as part of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It emerged among the gypsy communities of Andalusia and is performed by a mixture of singing, guitar playing, dancing, finger snapping and hand clapping. • ARMENIA KOCHARI The origin of the dance kochari dates back to many centuries ago. Initially, it was a war dance, the movements of which were based on the military and hunting experience and the dance itself was a special ritual conspiracy of the behavior in the upcoming battle. It also helped soldiers to dispose themselves for the battle. As a national dance kochari is danced by holding hands and moving in a circle in a closed row. Generally, the main dancer announces about the figure change by a loud voice or by waving the handkerchief. The movements in the dance are springy, some of them appeared in the course of time when the cult of animals was widely spread, and exactly that’s why they remind the jumping of horned animals.

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