Siestas

What is a Siesta?

A siesta is a short nap or period of rest taken in the early afternoon. Siestas are traditionally associated with Spain, but the practice has been done in the Philippines and many Latin American countries. https://elpais.com/elpais/2016/04/06/inenglish/1459949163_140228.html

Widespread of Siesta

Siestas have existed in Spain since the rise of agriculture. The practice of agriculture has almost always been at its most difficult during the middle of the day, when the weather is at its warmest. The Iberian Peninsula, where Spain is located, has a semi-arid climate, which makes cultivating land even more difficult during the middle of the day. Therefore, the practice of siestas became more and more common in Spain as a means to relieve oneself from the hot weather (Padilla 2011). Eventually it became commonplace to work in the morning, rest in the afternoon, and resume working in the evening.

Ever since industrialization however, the practice of siestas began to change. Urbanization and specialization led to less need to take a break in the middle of the day, as people spent less and less time out in the sun (Jones 2018). This changed even more drastically as heating and cooling systems became more advanced, especially with air-conditioning and refrigeration. People in Spain can now work midday without the hassle of hot weather.

How Siesta is Relevant Today?

There have been calls recently to abolish the siesta in Spain. In 2009, a study was done and showed that 16.2% of Spaniards napped every day, 22% napped occasionally, 3.2% napped on weekends, and 58.6% did not nap at all (Ballesteros 2016). However, there have also been calls to preserve the practice. Businesses, such as Siesta & Go, have been founded to provide Spaniards a place to rest without having to go home. Local ordinances have also sought to preserve the siesta, the people of Ador must keep noise to a minimum and shops in town must close between 2 and 5 pm (Jones 2017). Overall, the practice is decreasing nationwide, but it is still a prevalent part of life in Spain, especially in rural areas.

(Edit by Andrew Wilson)

Many politicians and Spaniards have become worried that the perceived value of appearing more busy and better at one's job will begin to damage the health and well-being of the Spanish working population, and the need for a siesta. This phenomenon is known as, "Presentismo". While this characteristic of devoting large amounts of time at work is not isolated to Spain, it is none-the-less considered to be a major factor in the death of the mid-day Siesta. According to Jessica Jones, the longer working hours started when the economic stability of Spain collapsed in 2013, and people became "skeptical of using flexible working policies" (Jones, 2017).

As more and more people have begun moving towards the working hours of other Western states, the idea of taking a midday break seems to be dangerous for someone trying to keep their jobs, and therefore many choose to skip the break and continue working. However, whether or not the siesta will stay or go is not going to be decided or confirmed until years, maybe decades, later.

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-spanish-siesta/

http://www.andalucia.com/accounts/siesta.htm


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Works Cited

Ballesteros, Anabel (2016) The Spanish siesta: myth or reality?, El Pais https://elpais.com/elpais/2016/04/06/inenglish/1459949163_140228.html

Burgen, Stephen (2019) Siesta no more? Why Spanish sleeping habits are under strain, The Guardian, London https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/feb/09/why-spanish-sleeping-habits-under-strain

Jones, Jessica (2017) It's time to put the tired Spanish siesta stereotype to bed, BBC, London https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20170609-its-time-to-put-the-tired-spanish-siesta-stereotype-to-bed

Jones, Jessica (2018) A Brief History of the Spanish Siesta, Culture Trip https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-spanish-siesta/

Lopez-Minguez, J., Morosoli, J. J., Madrid, J. A., Garaulet, M., Ordoñana, J.R. (2017) Heritability of siesta and night-time sleep as continuously assessed by a circadian-related integrated measure, nature.com, London https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-12460-x

Padilla, Brenda (2011) An Age-Old Tradition in the Face of Global Pressure, andalucia.com http://www.andalucia.com/accounts/siesta.htm