If you’ve traveled a bit through Spain, you´ve probably realized that the differences between the regions are remarkable, and make this country a nation full of contrasts.
This is true for its landscapes and geography; with arid areas in the south, particularly lush vegetation within the northern coastal and mountain climate, and a subtropical climate in the Canary Islands; as well as its culture and economy, with “Comunidad Autónoma” (region) under the influence of its own characteristics.
This is due to its strategic location within the European geography and the fact of being a peninsula surrounded by water, with an old trading history. How does Catalonia really differ from other regions? Keep reading this article to find out!
Table of Contents
Focusing on the “Comunidad Autónoma” where Barcelona is located, Catalonia’s economy, which is the European entry into Spain, is based on tourism, so we are used to welcoming foreigners visiting the capital for leisure, work or studies.
Photo via Visualhunt
The Catalans are used to accommodating people of all cultures throughout the year, making them an open and friendly population.
Still, we must not forget that foreigners are, historically, a “source of income” and the Catalans are traders used to deal in favorable trades, so as a tourist if you go into a store their kindness may depend on the money you are willing to spend on.
Anyway, if you are staying long-term in Barcelona, you have to interact with more people than just traders, and it will be very useful to have some knowledge beforehand about the Catalan character and their way of socializing with other people.
Visit Barcelona, rent an apartment
First of all, you should know is not easy to “enter” the heart of a Catalan person. We are a bit distrustful and shy at first, but once you have a Catalan friend, this is forever. Despite what is said, you don’t need to speak Catalan to live, work or study in Catalonia.
All inhabitants speak perfect Spanish and even English, but you must respect the Catalan language and understand that for many Catalans, is how they communicate more comfortably with each other.
Photo via Visualhunt
It is said that the English sense of humor is similar to Catalan sense of humor; ironic, intelligent, and sort of eschatological. It´s true, we like to laugh, but not to “give away” our smiles, we prefer to be discreet and polite in public, and let us go in the privacy of our homes or when we feel safe in our group of close friends.
The Catalan character is closer to the French by geographical proximity than to the Spanish, but we also like to go out, have good food and have some beers after work and enjoy the Spanish quality of life.
A Catalan person is usually a hard worker, and an honest, fair, timely and respectful person, and expects the same from the people around him or her.
Photo via VisualHunt
Maybe that’s why they say that we are stingy – by that sense of justice and honesty, we don’t like to pay more if we don’t think we should. Due to the European influence, we have a taste for aesthetics, design, art and culture of all styles.
We love to dress well, go to exhibitions, be well informed, to read, to learn about what happens in the world, to express our opinions about it, to speak languages and absorb knowledge from those who visit us without being invasive.
Related article: The “Castellers”, a Catalan Tradition
Politically Catalonia has always been a boiling pot due to the independence claim. The media and politicians have enlarged the myth of “Catalans hate Spain” and they are not interested in reaching an agreement.
Photo via Visualhunt
But if you come to Barcelona or Catalonia you will realize that this is a false stereotype. A large majority of Catalans have parents or grandparents who come from all parts of Spain, who would like politicians to devote to solving the problems, not to creating them.
Being Catalan is much more than those things listed in this article, but from ShBarcelona we wanted to sketch some of them. To know all sides of the multifaced Catalan character or Barcelona’s population you would have to live in this wonderful part of Spain that has so much to offer.
Move to Barcelona for a couple of months
What is your opinion on the people in Barcelona or Catalonia?
Tell us what you think!
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I am not sure where my mothers father came from? I am sorry I did not pay attention. I remember hearing Barcelona and speaking Catalan.His name was Juan Pedrero.
Would love to visit and research my family history.
hmmmmm. Beg to differ on many of the writer’s observations, hard for a Catalan to see themselves clearly. I’m an American and lived in BCN 9 years. Generally, find Catalans close minded and disinterested in foreigners. Have twice as many friends from other parts of Spain. And the Catalan independentistas need to accept that they’ve killed the good convivencia of the city. It’s sad and diminishing what was an amazing quality of life.
Very agreed with you, it is much easier to socialize with the rest of Spaniards than with native Catalans.
Nationalist politics have engulfed them so much in the Catalan language that they are half abstracted or with a negative attitude towards Hispanophobia.
They are not all like that, but if you find an unfriendly person very likely is a Catalan Nationalist.
You know that what you've said is totally false. Stop spreading fake news. If you had problems dealing with Catalans, you cannot say THEY are narrow-minded.
I do not agree very much The Catalan character is not French. Catalan culture is a Spanish and Mediterranean culture. I am French and Spanish and I can assure you that what some Catalans say is not real. More than 80% of Catalans have parents or grandparents from other regions, is not consistent with that idea. Catalonia has contributed much to the Spanish character as other Spanish cultures. What I can assure you is that the Catalan character is more closed than open, jealous of his own. Of course, Catalan culture has as many good things as other regions in Spain. A very rich Mediterranean culture but different from the rest as some politicians would have us believe
U can't generalize, but..
Here for over 15 years. Catalans are nice and respectful people (expect for when they are your neighbors and run the washing machine, or sing out loud at 7am, or the occasional party until the AM on weekdays).
I personally don't see much difference when comparing them to a "Spanish" person, other than the communication style (more shy and unfriendly than in other parts of the country), and on how much they care about money. They all share the laziness, and the politicians the corruption that is typical in Spain: don't get me wrong, I love Catalunya and Spain, partly because of the relaxed lifestyle, but it's really a different country in that sense.. therefore the economy is how it is since so many years.
Catalan culture is interesting, love the sardanes music, castellers, cagatio etc, and allioli can't be beat, so delicious. They also make some good embutido!
Do not expect decent service in here, it very rare despite tourism being a huge income, they treat the customer soo poorly, but this I would say extends to some parts of Spain also; it's better in the South
Friendship: I do know lovely Catalans. In all these years I had just one Catalan real friend, inexplicably, most of my friends and people who have tried to be my friend have been foreigners or from outside of Catalunya. I have studied and worked with Catalans, and speak catalá, and spanish, so no language barriers.
My friend dropped me as a hot potato because of a work related/saving very little money? real silly situation.. so I don't know what to say now.. maybe in 15 more years I'll have a real Catalan friend again?
They do care a lot about money, which is a good thing, but real friendship has a lot more value.. Just my experience
Separation? difficult, and unfortunately there are many Catalan politic corruption scandals, would things change much and for the better? I doubt it.. BUT more economic autonomy would be nice for Catalunya IMO
Catalunya cosmopolita t'estimo. Visca Catalunya i el allioli!
Lol sorry but I do not find people polite here for the most part! I have lived here for 4 years. People have no self-awareness, walk in front of you, ignore you in restaurants etc. Everything is so slow, the companies I have worked for try to cut corners, don't do things properly or listen. The only Catalan friends I've had are those who are well-travelled and open-minded. I have, funnily enough, found myself a Catalan man! His family have accepted me but I do find them difficult and they can't grasp that cultural differences exist and it doesn't necessarily mean that your way is the right way, nor is mine. We are just different! Brought up differently! Don't get me started on the Catalan mum ;) Also, I just got back from a trip to Tokyo and it is literally the opposite to here where people are super friendly, polite and respectful in public.
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for sharing your view on the subject!
I agree with you 100%, that if you find it hard to let go of your own culture and do not welcome differences, you can have a hard time in a new country.
It's all about managing expectations I guess ;-)
Regards,
Daniella
The Catalans have travelled the world over for generations. In South East Asia they have stolen land and been key players in the heroin trade. In fact they are the main players in the heroin trade worldwide, in Europe, Russia, America< South America, Asia and Africa have all been supplied heroin by the Catalan network of criminals listed as Satanists in Asia for their sexual abuse of children.
Lived in Catalunya for 2 years. I speak català and come from a catalan family that migrated to South America later. I don't have a single Catalan friend. Most I've met are rude and conceited. I've been told I can only make friends once I "win them over" but they are 100% uninterested in different people and experiences and in being polite and friendly to you. Why would I want to "win over" people that rude?
I'm sure thta if you're born in Catalunya it must be a wonderful place to live, most Catalans I've met are very close with their families and lifelong friends ... but it's not a friendly culture, sorry. It's hard for Catalans to really judge themselves.
"A Catalan person is usually a hard worker, and an honest, fair, timely and respectful person"
Haha seriously?
Lazy and rude is what I've experienced... Well my Catalan friends are nice, but neighbours, restaurants, banks and "customer service" people... it's like they try to be as unhelpful and inconsiderate as possible.
Customer service doesn't matter... coming up with solutions doesn't matter... all that matters is being as arrogant as possible.
Absolute kafkaesque society.
I hope new generations will try and improve things after seeing the shambles of a response to the pandemic.
I'm interested in catalan and start to learn it because of the 9-year-old tv series ‘el cor de la ciutat’. I've always thought catalan people would be friendly and warm like in the show XD but here in the comments it seems that people's ideas differ a lot wow
I’ve lived in Barcelona since 2013 and have only a couple of Catalan friends. I hate to say it but Catalan people are generally rude, mean-spirited both in terms of money and general attitude, closed-minded, moany and xenophobic. Coming from London this has been a shock as us Londoners are very open-minded and keen to embrace other cultures. I think their toxic nationalism is to blame. I recently visited Sevilla and was really taken aback at how warm and friendly the people are, you really feel welcome and appreciated there. I felt the same when I went to Madrid a few years ago, such lovely people, as are people I’ve met from Galicia and most other parts of Spain. I clearly need to move to another part of Spain and am seriously considering it!
Hi, been living in cataluña for exactly one year. Here i had the time to first emphatize with the Catalan autonomy cause, than to better understand what's behind it. I believe that even if the roots of the independence cause are generally understandable and i would support them, this era is not the most recommended to pursue this form of independentism. I have to say that i didn't live in Barcelona, rather in many little villages and in the BCN hinterland. The people of these areas are tendentially more closed minded, sometimes culturally limited, and tend to have conservative attitudes accompained by an underlying xenophobia. Catalans seem to be very preoccupied of losing their culture, and so this can be understandable. But the problem is that is exactly their closure that will lead to the loss. They crave for independence and republic without considering that current representative republics in Europe are stripping their democratic masks as we speak. We have also to consider that Cataluña is the cash maker of Spain. Its territory and culture has been raped and violated by industry, and the rest of Spain basically lives by the surplus value that Cataluña creates. So I understand also why catalans are so stressed, since they are basically workhorses, which may translate to not being very willing to work at their best. Overall i don't see my future here neither, in one year i could not make friend with anyone, as everyone is too preoccupied with issues like owning an expensive coche, or showing off something about themselves, while being overall unhelpful, xenophbic and a bit naive, I started feeling very bored of the situation and i will move away, probably to Ireland.