Restaurant sign with the message: “Any child who is not supervised in this bar by his mother or father will become the property of the bar and will be sold as a slave.”

 

Should Spain’s bars and restaurants be allowed to ban children?

Balicana in Bilbao has become the latest establishment to become a child-free zone, a move that has sparked indignation from consumer groups, who say it is discriminatory

Should children be taken to bars? What responsibility do parents have if their children go with them? Is there really such a thing as “childphobia” or, as it is sometimes known, paedophobia? These are questions that arise every time an establishment decides to ban minors from setting foot on their premises. The latest case concerns Balicana, a restaurant in the Basque city of Bilbao that has been criticized by FACUA-Consumers in Action for not allowing children access. On its webpage, Balicana clearly states that its premises “are reserved exclusively for adults.” But according to the consumer association, barring entry to an establishment on the basis of age is discriminatory abuse of the rights of admission and at variance with the law that allows children into bars and restaurants if accompanied by a responsible adult. Consequently, FACUA is demanding that the establishment be fined and is encouraging the public to report any similar norms in other bars or restaurants.

Balicana is not the only restaurant in Spain to ban children. Some of these establishments claim that the presence of children is disruptive, increases the noise level, and argue that parents often fail to supervise them properly. These restaurants prefer to avoid these issues and have opted for an adults-only scenario, despite the indignation of parents who want to be able to dine with their children; and despite the legitimate right of minors to enter.

Is there such a thing as childphobia?

“Childphobia has existed since the beginning of time,” says Berna Iskandar, a journalist specializing in motherhood, parenting and children’s rights. “Kids are the most vulnerable members of society and cannot defend themselves. There is a real ignorance among adults surrounding the needs of our youngest children who are supposed to meet expectations that do not correspond to their age. Childhood is a stage of intense development during which they have to experiment.”

Iskandar explains that the way to eradicate the fear of children is “by building more child-friendly spaces where their rights and needs are taken into account; cities and bars that adapt to them and not the other way around. Just as spaces are adapted to people with difficulties, with ramps added, for example, they must also be adapted so that children can develop and relax, both of which are vital to them.”

According to Iskander, when there is discrimination, as in the case of the restaurant in Bilbao, it is up to the adults to fight the injustice. “If we build places and spaces that are more child-friendly, it would help both children and adults to enjoy themselves,” she says. “The goal is clear: we have to move from an adult-centered society, as is currently the case, to a child-centered one.”

It is, she says, the parents’ responsibility to attend to their children’s needs and go to places where the child can also enjoy themselves. “If the child is upset, the parents should be attentive and spend time with them,” she says. “The reality is that we are in a constant rush and children are expected to meet schedules imposed by adults. We do not spend time with them; we are not with them; we abuse screens, material things and our children are alone.”

While Iskander does not believe that children have worse upbringings now, she does point out that things were very different in the past. “There were more open spaces before,” she says. “And children had more opportunity to play and move around, so they would be more relaxed when they got home at mealtimes, for example. Now they live more indoor lives and have to contain all the energy that comes with childhood. Making them the focal point should be a priority.”

The rise of the child-free zone

Cases similar to that of the restaurant in Bilbao occurred in 2018 and 2019 in Murcia, Salamanca and Vigo, with hospitality establishments making it clear that children were not welcome. In Murcia, the owner of a bar called Venus put up a sign that said: “Any child who is not supervised in this bar by his mother or father will become the property of the bar and will be sold as a slave.” The sign sparked a significant amount of controversy, especially over the word “slave.” The owner, Manuel M. Villalba, told EL PAÍS at the time that it was a joke and that he in fact adored children. But, he explained: “Parents are having a drink while their offspring are making life impossible for others.”

In Salamanca, meanwhile, a bar called Livingstone printed a series of rules whereby children had to be with their parents at all times; could not bring a toy from home or even cry. The move created so much controversy that the restaurant was forced to withdraw the norms. In Vigo, the restaurant Beach Escola Vao cut to the chase with a sign that read “Child-free zone” and invited patrons to enjoy “the quiet.”

“There is an adult-centric vision of society in general,” says Esther Vivas, author of Mamá Desobediente (or, Disobedient Mom). “We live in a society that has a very hypocritical view of childhood. On the one hand, it praises and glorifies childhood, ­as in the cute and well-behaved children we see in advertising, but at the same time, it turns its back on the needs of children and the fact that they behave like children. When they start laughing, running and being inconvenient, we want hotels, bars and spaces that are free of them.”

So why do some adults find children annoying? “Simply because they are children,” says Vives. “We live in a society that is absolutely focused on productivity, the market and economic profit, in which dependent people are a nuisance. This is the main cause of childphobia,” she says, adding that the system does not allow children to be children: “It denies their rights.”

Vives, who is also a sociologist, maintains that under the existing adult-centric vision, children are forced to behave like adults in a system that punishes them. This has been particularly evident during the coronavirus pandemic, she argues. “At first, at the beginning of the crisis, children were said to be super-spreaders,” she says. Scientific studies later showed the claim to be untrue. “As the most penalized members of society during the crisis, they were locked up at home for weeks and forbidden to go out and socialize with their peers. And even now, at a time when it is possible to go out for a drink with friends without a mask, any child over six still has to wear a mask at school, including during recess. It is flagrant discrimination and proof that childphobia is a reality.”

 

The high cost (and growing appeal) of single living

The number of one-person households continues to grow globally, with implications for the economy and public policy

Singles are being increasingly targeted by companies as a desirable consumer demographic.

A THIRD OF EUROPEAN UNION households are occupied by single people without any children. In the United States, where 38% of adults ages 25 to 54 are unpartnered according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center based on the US Census, one-person households make up 28% of the total. China is expecting the number of people living alone to reach 92 million by 2022. And in Spain, one in four homes have only one person living in them, and over half of these are under 65 years of age.

Singles are a growing demographic for whom everyday life can be more expensive, who have their own consumer dynamics and whose potential long-term impact on the economy is still a matter of debate.

There is a historical link between economics and personal relationships, says Jesús Sanz, who teaches social anthropology at Madrid’s Complutense University. Sanz explains that the rise of romantic love is tied to the sexual division of labor, and that the introduction of salaried work helps explain the growing numbers of single adults.

“Before salaried work came along, families not only played a reproductive role, they were also fundamental in the organization of subsistence,” he says. “Later, subsistence instead began to depend on individuals selling their labor, which created more autonomy from the domestic group.”

Rites of passage became less important. And singles stopped being viewed in such a negative light – in Spain, the old-fashioned word for singles is the pejorative solterones, compared to the neutral solteros. “It used to be that people who lived alone seemed to have a negative stigma attached to them, while these days they are increasingly associated to the idea of freedom,” said Ana López, first vice-dean of the Madrid Professional Association of Economists (CEMAD).

The price of living alone

But there is a price to living alone. “We could say that being single is expensive,” said Vicent Borràs, a researcher and lecturer in sociology at Barcelona’s Autonomous University. One of the clearest aspects is housing, which normally requires the biggest financial effort from households. “For a single person, access [to housing] is more complicated. Society, to a certain extent, is made for and favors partnered living.”

Juan Carlos Martínez Lázaro, who teaches at IE University, agrees. “Just think about taxation. Income tax is more geared towards families than towards people living alone.” And since living alone is expensive, those who can afford to do so are generally the more well-off, adds Borràs.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center suggests that in the US, marriage and cohabitation are associated with wage gains for childless women, but not for those with kids. In Spain, the long-term wage losses for women who have children are in the range of 28% per child, according to a study by the Bank of Spain. Men’s wages do not seem affected by the fact of having children, the same study showed.

“Singles play a more dynamic role in the job market because it’s easier for them to switch jobs and even emigrate than it is for married people, notes Joan Llull, a researcher at MOVE Foundation who teaches economics and Barcelona’s Autonomous University.

Consumer habits

Singles have become an increasingly desirable demographic for companies. According to consumer statistics, a household with several people living in it will consume more overall, but singles tend to consume more for themselves. “It’s clear that they consume a lot of leisure goods and services,” says Silvia Pinto, a researcher who teaches marketing at Madrid’s Autonomous University. “There is a very intense trend in society in general, but particularly reflected in singles, to try to spend more time enjoying what is viewed as a life of freedom.”

López underscores the relevances of singles in the 50-to-55 age category, close to the so-called silver economy. “The implications for the economy are clear. They are an important group with considerable capacity for savings.” This group tends to spend more on personal care, sports and better nutrition.

In the long run, some experts see economic dangers in the rise of singles. “For the point of view of the birth rate, it could pose a problem,” says López. “This trend is going to exacerbate the problems of the falling [birth] rate and the change in the population pyramid,” adds Martínez. “And let’s not forget that an older society becomes a less innovative, much more conservative society where public policy is aimed at satisfying the needs of the older population while ignoring many other policies aimed at the younger individuals.”

But Llull sees it differently. “It’s not clear to me that there could be a long-term problem beyond the fact of having to adjust policies to changing situations,” he said. “Structures and policies have to adapt to the changes in society. One example is pensions.”

 

Spain wants coffee and cigarette breaks at work to go unpaid

 IS WORKING SPANIARDS' traditional mid-morning break at the bar under threat?

Spain’s newly elected socialist government is contemplating introducing a clause to the new 'clocking in' laws for workers that would see their unofficial breaks go unpaid. 

The fresh guidelines, aimed largely at making sure employees get paid for overtime, could backfire against workers in that their sacred out-of-office coffee breaks will see their wages depleted.

The same would apply to any time spent outside work during standard working hours.

Spanish business groups, perhaps disgruntled by the prospect of having to cough up for the more than 2.6 million hours of overtime that up to now have gone unpaid, have supported this prospective measure.

“Spanish workers get two hours a day for various breaks: lunch, a personal phone call, to stretch their legs, to nip out for a smoke or to have a coffee,” Spain’s employment secretary Yolanda Valdeolivas told Spanish company representatives.

“I wouldn’t have any problem with this time being rounded off and divided between effective work hours and non-effective, unpaid time.”

Critics have called the proposed measure “one-dimensional” and “unrealistic” but Valdeolivas has responded by stating that a thorough control of effective hours at work has always existed in Spain and this is “purely a formalisation of a matter of little importance”.

“We’ll give companies some time to introduce the general entry and exit control systems,” she added.

The government’s current guidelines do make a distinction between compulsory breaks and others, but this new proposal would see smokers and more restless employees bundled up with other workers who need regular breaks for more justifiable reasons.

Earlier this year Spain's Socialist government brought in a new law that requires employers to keep proper track of working hours, effectively bringing back the practice of clocking in and out, so that overtime hours can be measured.

 

Spanish holidays

Below, a list of Spanish national holidays 2020,  and regional Spanish bank holidays.

The national government determines the Spanish national holidays each year, although Spanish bank holidays differ between regions. While each community must observe the set national holidays in Spain, regional holidays can be decided by local governments. In 2020, every region has a total of 12 Spanish bank holidays, of which eight are celebrated as Spanish national holidays and four are celebrated as regional Spanish public holidays or municipal days.

Spanish national holidays are busy periods, particularly if a holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday and employees take a puente (bridge) holiday of four days (dias festivos or vacaciones).

Bank holidays in Spain that fall on weekends are sometimes replaced with alternate days (usually on the following Monday) if the regional government so chooses.

Regional Spanish holidays usually coincide with festivals and can be a great time to visit a new city and try something different. Book early, these times get busy, quickly.

Many businesses also close during the Spanish national and regional holidays. Each year you can check the Spanish holidays list at Local town halls who normally publish a list at the start of each year.

Spanish national holidays and public holidays in Spain 2022

This page contains a national calendar of all 2022 public holidays. These dates may be modified as official changes are announced, so please check back regularly for updates. Scroll down to view the national list.

Date	Day	Holiday	Autonomous Communities
1 Jan	Sat	New Year's Day	National
6 Jan	Thu	Epiphany	National
28 Feb	Mon	Andalusia Regional Holiday	Andalusia
1 Mar	Tue	Balearic Islands Regional Holiday	Balearic Islands
19 Mar	Sat	St Joseph's Day	Basque Country, Castile-La Mancha & Valencia
14 Apr	Thu	Maundy Thursday	National except Catalonia & Valencia
15 Apr	Fri	Good Friday	National
18 Apr	Mon	Easter Monday	Balearic Islands, Basque Country, Catalonia, La Rioja, Navarre & Valencia
23 Apr	Sat	Aragon Regional Holiday	Aragon
23 Apr	Sat	Castile and León Regional Holiday	Castile and Leon
1 May	Sun	Labour Day	National
2 May	Mon	Madrid Regional Holiday	Madrid
2 May	Mon	Labour Day Holiday	Andalusia, Aragon, Extremadura & Murcia
15 May	Sun	San Isidro *	Madrid
17 May	Tue	Galician Literature Day	Galicia
30 May	Mon	Canary Islands Regional Holiday	Canary Islands
31 May	Tue	Castile-La Mancha Regional Holiday	Castile-La Mancha
9 Jun	Thu	La Rioja Regional Holiday	La Rioja
9 Jun	Thu	Murcia Regional Holiday	Murcia
13 Jun	Mon	San Antonio	Ceuta
16 Jun	Thu	Corpus Christi	Castile-La Mancha
24 Jun	Fri	St John's Day	Catalonia, Galicia & Valencia
10 Jul	Sun	Eid al-Adha	Ceuta & Melilla
25 Jul	Mon	National Day of Galicia	Galicia
25 Jul	Mon	Saint James' Day	Basque Country
28 Jul	Thu	Day of the Institutions	Cantabria
5 Aug	Fri	Our Lady of Africa	Ceuta
15 Aug	Mon	Assumption of Mary	National
2 Sep	Fri	Day of Ceuta	Ceuta
6 Sep	Tue	Elcano Day	Basque Country
8 Sep	Thu	Our Lady of Victories	Melilla
8 Sep	Thu	Asturias Regional Holiday	Asturias
8 Sep	Thu	Extremadura Regional Holiday	Extremadura
11 Sep	Sun	National Day of Catalonia	Catalonia
15 Sep	Thu	Cantabria Regional Holiday	Cantabria
17 Sep	Sat	Day of Melilla	Melilla
9 Oct	Sun	Valencian Regional Holiday	Valencia
12 Oct	Wed	Fiesta Nacional de España	National
1 Nov	Tue	All Saints' Day	National
9 Nov	Wed	Virgin of Almudena *	Madrid
3 Dec	Sat	San Francisco Javier	Navarre
6 Dec	Tue	Constitution Day	National
8 Dec	Thu	Immaculate Conception	National except Ceuta
25 Dec	Sun	Christmas Day	National
26 Dec	Mon	St Stephen's Day	Balearic Islands & Catalonia
26 Dec	Mon	Christmas Holiday	Andalusia, Aragon, Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile-La Mancha, Extremadura, La Rioja, Murcia & Navarre