SIESTA IN SPAIN AND IN EUROPE

Just because stores are open longer hours in the US, doesn't mean they make more money. Ever gone to the mall at 9:30AM on a Tuesday? Do you see a lot of people shopping?

In Europe, everyone knows that the stores will be closed on Sunday, so they get all their shopping overwith on Saturday or during the weekdays. They don't wait until Sunday like Americans do.

Siesta is especialy important to Southern Europeans, for a veriety of reasons. Traditionally, lunch -not dinner- is the biggest, most important meal of the day for Southern Europeans (for Americans, it would be dinner). You need a few hours away from the office in order to prepare the meal, and then sit down with your family to have a long meal and a conversation. Dinner is less significant for Southern Europeans (unlike for Americans).

Additionally, the afternoon sun in Southern Europe can get pretty brutal during the summer months. Workers who work outside (construction, farmers, etc) shouldn't be working during the height of the day. Hence, siesta time.

There are no lost hours of producvity. Many -if not most- Southern Europeans start their workday at 7AM or 8AM (while Americans generally start at 9AM), and their workday may last beyond 5PM. In fact, Spaniards and Greeks actually more hours per week than Germans, Dutch, and Swedes. Italians and French actually work just as many hours a week as the Germans do.

Things are changing now, as this schedule may not suit office workers in the largest cities (like a government employee in Madrid who commutes all the way from the suburbs). However, siesta will never completely die, because for very many Southern Europeans, it's very important (and perfectly practical) that they break up the workday for a siesta.

I take a siesta every day, and think great, and if a person makes adequate money, why not?

Life if full of different goals, some people say they want to be this or that, and do the opposite.

Yes, the Siesta is part of many cultures or not working in general, or a little as possible.

I do not recommend work, I do recommend not complaining when you fail have what some other culture has.

I encourage USA people to stop and think, stop spending money, work less and retire 20 years earlier than the Europeans. The earning power is high, take a windfall retirement.

Warm weather is great, requires less money to maintain a home.