The Long Nights of Spain Anger Some.. Is This 'Crazy' Lifestyle on Its Way to Disappear?

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - The Spanish day is known for its length, as lunchtime does not arrive until two in the afternoon. Work hours often end after seven in the evening, while dinner time is around eight-thirty.

Fortunately for some tourists, who are keen to experience different ways of living, many restaurants close their doors after midnight, and employees do not return home until the early hours of the morning. Thus, the second deputy to the Spanish president and Minister of Labor and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, struck a sensitive chord when she condemned the culture of staying out late at night in the country, describing it as "madness."

Díaz said during a parliamentary meeting this month: "There is no logical country that keeps its restaurants open until one in the morning... it is madness to continue pretending and extending working hours to the point of not knowing what time it is."

Madrid's mayor, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, responded to this via the platform "X" (formerly Twitter) and wrote: "But we are different." She then continued: "They want us all to become puritanical, socialist, to feel bored, and to be indoors."

Despite their long day, Spaniards work a little longer compared to the European average, at 37.8 hours a week, according to the European Commission. However, they get less sleep compared to most of their counterparts in Northern Europe, with 7.13 hours a night, according to "Public Health Maps."

Marta Junque from the Time Use Institute, based in Barcelona, which the Spanish government recently consulted to amend its labor laws, stated that Spaniards have not always stayed up this late. Junque explained: "Spain is now unique in terms of the late time we leave work."

They used to rise at sunrise and stop working when the lights went out. Now, it gets dark at six or seven and we are still working.

Junque confirmed: "What we advocate for is the right to time." Nap periods without sleep According to Junque, the shift in time can be attributed to one man, the Spanish military dictator Francisco Franco, who ruled from 1936 to 1975.

During World War II, Franco changed Spain's time zone to align with his German ally. This resulted in everything moving forward by one hour, and it has not changed since then.

And what about Spain's famous long midday period for taking a nap, known as siesta? This word is derived from the Latin word sexta, which means the sixth hour after dawn.

This period served as a traditional break for workers in the agricultural sector in Spain and Italy, typically taken around noon, just when the intense heat of the Mediterranean sun begins to peak. However, in Spain, this break became more widespread during Franco's era, as the deteriorating economy forced people to work multiple jobs, as Junque explained.

She said: "People would wake up at dawn to work for 6 to 8 hours, take a break for two or three hours to rest, eat, and commute to another job, and then work for several more hours until evening." In Spanish, the word siesta literally means nap.

However, less than 18% of Spaniards regularly nap during that period today, according to a 2016 survey. More than 50% of participants reported that they never take a nap.

Nonetheless, the napping system, along with the time zone shift implemented by Franco, caused the biological clock of the Spanish economy to extend into the night. Many shops in Spain close their doors for a two or three-hour afternoon break, which lengthens the workday for employees and creates what Junque describes as "time poverty."

Time monitoring has a greater impact on Spanish women who bear the responsibility for the majority of household duties, caregiving, and working at the same time. According to the Time Use Institute, 30% of Spanish women with families suffer from a complete lack of personal time.

This may also be one of the reasons for the delayed productivity levels in Spain compared to other countries in Europe. Junqueira said: "All indicators suggest that the longer you stay at work, the less productive you become."

For many years, Spain has struggled with how to fix its internal clock, a matter that transcends political party lines. In 2016, the conservative Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy of the People's Party, attempted to reset the Spanish clock to Greenwich Mean Time without success.

The current government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of the Socialist Party, is calling for reduced working hours and increased flexibility. It has also imposed wage increases for those working between 10 PM and 6 AM.

This has a significant impact on the service and tourism industry in Spain, especially on the late-night dining scene. Golden moments in Spain do not see dinner crowds peak until after 10 PM, according to a restaurant owner named Dani García.

This means that restaurant owners bear the brunt of the costs. García said: "You will certainly find German and English tourists hoping to have dinner at 6 PM, but local crowds do not head to the tables until 10 PM."

García also confirmed: "You can't rush customers... and not just when it comes to salaries, but when paying employees to take taxis home at two in the morning."

Spain has a word to denote staying after a good meal, which is Sobremesa. The literal translation of this word is "over the table," but it describes that golden moment after enjoying a good meal with friends, family, and savoring a cup of coffee or a drink after eating.

This moment is particularly wonderful during the long summer days in Spain. There are still many people filling outdoor dining spaces after midnight in the famous "El Carmen" neighborhood in Valencia.

This period is accompanied by less food, more bottles of wine, lots of laughter, and some spontaneous dancing. And although politicians may argue about working hours, it seems that Spanish restaurant-goers will not change their habits anytime soon.