Traditions and Live Entertainment

May 23, 2017

This Study Abroad experience has exposed me to a wide variety of traditions and culture but one that has been an exceptional experience is the Southern Spanish culture, specifically Flamenco dancing. Being a dancer myself, I always love to watch and experience new styles that are traditional to cultures other than my own and this was a perfect opportunity for me.
The dancers themselves are very passionate about this specific art form and anyone in the audience can feel their passion through their dance. The audience can easily feel the emotions demonstrated through their performance by simply watching – the strength and sharpness of the steps, facial expression and interaction between dancers, says it all.
Another wonderful experience was Carnavale, a week-long celebration. There were parades in the city of Barcelona as well as in Sitges, a town just outside Barcelona. I went to a street parades in Barcelona and it was great to see everyone dressed up, dancing to local music and just having a good time! Carnavale celebrations went on until early hours and the people on the streets just didn’t seem to get tired, it was as if they had an unlimited store of energy for the night!
I found these two traditions or customs the most interesting as they were nothing like I had seen before. The way of celebration was different, costumes and food were unique and it was overall an incredible cultural experience that I would recommend anyone visting Spain – either as a tourist or as a study abroad student – to make sure they experience 

Written By

Mitali Mirle

I am originally from India, born and raised in Dubai UAE. I am studying Environmental Science with a minor in psychology and Spanish. I chose to study abroad because I wanted to experience a new culture, travel to new places and in the process, improve my Spanish. While some people speak English here in Barcelona, the preferred language is definitely Spanish, therefore if I want to communicate with others, I am forced to speak the language, which will help me improve my conversational Spanish. While abroad, I hope to use Barcelona as a gateway to rest of Europe, say yes to almost all opportunities, try new things, eat new types of food and witness and be a part of new traditions and customs of Spain. I would like to come back and share my experiences with others like me who also want to travel the world and see the world from different perspectives.