Siesta is a traditional afternoon rest in southern European countries, which is an integral part of the life of the local population. For tourists staying in Italy, Spain, Greece and Cyprus, the siesta becomes a nightmare: cafes, shops, restaurants and other public institutions are closed for a three-hour lunch. People have a hearty meal, after which they will have a little afternoon nap.
What is siesta? The word "siesta" has a Latin origin - "hora sexta" and means "the sixth hour." Since the ancient Romans began their day at dawn, it was exactly the sixth hour that it fell down to lunchtime.
Officially, all residents of Italy were given an afternoon nap allowed in the seventeenth century. Historians suggest that it was the rest of the kings of the Gagsburg dynasty and their courtiers that served as the basis for respecting the traditions of siesta.
Many people knew and are aware of the beneficial effects of siesta on the human body. The famous politician Winston Churchill after 14.00 has always been energetic and fresh. And not by chance, because he comes from Cuba (the former colony of Spain), where the siesta was considered an indispensable attribute of the life of every person.
What is useful siesta for a person?
It is believed that after 8 hours from the moment a person wakes up from a night's sleep, a weak activity of the organism occurs. If, to all this, a person has a satisfying meal, there is a shift of emphasis in the body's work: the organs of the digestive system are more actively supplied, which causes increased drowsiness and decreases labor productivity.
Siesta time:
- short (lasts 5-20 minutes; significantly improves pep, helps to restore strength);
- standard siesta (20-50 minutes; in addition to restoring lost strength, clears the memory of unnecessary information);
- sloth siesta (50-90 minutes; is the longest, therefore it is best suited for a young growing organism).
According to neurophysiologists, the most favorable is an afternoon sleep of 30 minutes. If a person sleeps a little longer, there is a high probability of immersion in the phase deep sleep, an awakening during which will negatively affect the state of health - a bad mood and depression are recorded.
Favorable parties during lunch:
- recuperation of the body and increase labor productivity;
- strengthening muscle and long-term memory;
- cleansing the brain of unnecessary information;
- improved blood circulation;
- minimization of the development of depression, as well as the prevention of panic attacks;
- stress relief;
- normalization of pressure.
In addition, it is believed that a regular half-hour rest after lunch minimizes the death rate from heart attacks by 37%. According to psychologist Cesar Escalante, siesta can improve concentration. It gives the opportunity to start a new phase of activity for each of us.
Siesta in Spain
Spanish siesta is not just a hearty lunch and a small dream, but also a whole tradition of the southern people. Its conduct is dictated by the climatic conditions in a country where the exhausting midday sun does not allow for a long time to be outdoors, and even more so to work in the heat. At a temperature of +40 degrees Celsius, even the wind does not save, - it only burns the skin.
In this regard, all residents stop working after one o'clock in the afternoon, lock themselves in their cloisters with closed shutters, have a solid meal and sleep for 30-40 minutes. With the advent of air conditioning, the tradition of relaxing on hot days gradually loses its former omnipresence: in major tourist cities (Barcelona, Madrid, Salou, Valencia), only some public places are interrupted for siesta.
In small towns of Spain, traditions continue to be observed. Here at lunchtime in the streets of the city you are unlikely to meet at least one local resident. Siesta in Spain lasts, as a rule, from 13.00 to 16.00. Its duration is influenced by the time of year, the terrain, and the availability of tourist infrastructure.
Siesta in Italy
Although Spain is the birthplace of siesta, the Italians also do not mind having a rest after dinner. In the south of Italy, siesta traditions are observed much more often than in the northern part of it. For example, in Milan (north), only 20% of residents try to take a nap after lunch, and this does not happen every day (a couple of times a week).
During the hours of siesta (from 12.00 to 16.00) it is not accepted to call friends and relatives, visit them on a visit and go to the shops. As soon as the Italian siesta is completed, cities and villages seem to be awakening from sleep. Cafes, restaurants, museums and other establishments start working late into the evening.
Most of all, the tradition of siesta is honored by villagers. In the summer heat you will not find a single Italian in the streets of the village.
Siesta in Greece
The Greeks recorded a high life expectancy: for women it is 80, and for men - 78 years. In addition, the Greeks - one of the few European nations, which low level cardiovascular disease. There is an opinion that it is the correct schedule of work and rest that contributes to this.
In Greece, during the hours of siesta, you are unlikely to meet the local population on the street, and even more so at work. After a hearty lunch, the Greeks fall asleep for 30-40 minutes in the heatwave hours. Therefore, your desire to come to visit or call a Greek friend after dinner should remain just a desire, otherwise it will be regarded as disrespect. In Cyprus, siesta lasts from 13.00 to 16.00 in the period from May to September.
Siesta rules
For good night need a soft and comfortable sofa, and best of all a spacious bed. You need to sleep no more than 40 minutes, otherwise it will be difficult to wake up, and it is unlikely that there will be more cheerfulness. If you are afraid of waking too long, set the alarm for right timeAlthough in itself sleep after lunch is considered to be short (few people get to sleep for more than an hour).
It is imperative to eliminate those things that can wake a rest: turn off the phone and doorbell. According to the old Italian tradition, after waking up, it is best to drink a glass of pure water or eat a dessert prepared in advance.
In this way, daytime sleep - It is an opportunity to increase your working capacity, avoid stress and restore body strength. Due to siesta, it is possible to significantly reduce the daily time allotted for sleep (for 2-3 hours). In this case, your health and vigor will always be on top.
Finding himself under a bright Spanish sky for the first time and having received a lot of positive emotions, an inexperienced tourist is surprised to notice that at the height of the day the streets of cities and towns seem to die out, and many of the sights become inaccessible, being safely locked under the castle ... What happened and where everyone disappeared ? Nothing extraordinary, it's just the time for siesta. The peculiarities of siesta, this typical Spanish phenomenon will be discussed in our article.
What is siesta?It is not a secret for anybody that the way of life of any nation is directly connected with climatic features in its place of residence. It is because of the hot climate, the mercilessly scorching sun and hot winds that such a phenomenon as siesta appeared in Spain. What is this phenomenon, this "mysterious" siesta? Siesta is nothing like a lunch break, which includes an afternoon rest. The nature has rewarded Spain with such a hot heat that any work in the afternoon becomes simply impossible. Agree that collecting oranges, working in the garden or cultivating crops at air temperatures above 40 degrees in the shade is not only unproductive, but also life-threatening. Why work there, even just being on the street at such a temperature is very difficult. After all, even the wind here does not bring the desired relief, but simply burns the skin. That is why, during the hours when the sun is hot, the locals indulge in rest behind tightly closed doors and lowered shutters to start working again in the evening. Of course, due to the appearance of air conditioners, the heat is not so scary for those who work in the premises, so the siesta tradition is gradually disappearing. But still, many institutions close their doors in the afternoon to reopen when the heat in the street wanes. That is why when planning your trip in Spain, and especially in provincial Spain, you must always take into account the siesta in your schedule, because at that time you will not be able to visit any museum, go shopping or relax in a cafe.
How long does a siesta last in Spain?
For what time does siesta in Spain? Unfortunately, it does not comply with a single schedule across the country, and in different parts of Spain it begins and ends differently. In order not to be trapped, the tourist should clarify in advance what time the siesta is in exactly the city where its path lies. The duration of the afternoon rest is influenced by many different factors: local traditions, the influx of tourists, the infrastructure of the city. As a rule, the life of large tourist centers, such as Barcelona or Salou, does not affect the afternoon siesta at all: at any time of the day, life is in full swing here, and a thousand and one entertainment is at the service of the guests. Even if small shops and museums are closed during the day for a siesta, the large shopping and entertainment centers operate without interruptions. In the small Spanish towns during the siesta on the streets is empty and silent, and all 
shops and shopping centers are securely closed. Here you can wander for hours through the deserted streets without meeting a single local resident on your way. Approximately the duration of siesta in different areas and cities of Spain is as follows.
Siesta in Spain
Siesta is a national tradition of the Spanish people, an integral part of the lifestyle of any Spaniard and it does not matter who he is in the hierarchy of the social ladder, be it a big businessman, a public servant or a simple worker. Understanding Spain, the Spaniards, their mentality, and not remembering all the time about such a phenomenon as the Spanish siesta is not possible.
We can say with all certainty that not a single monarch, not a single dictator could, if he suddenly had such an idea, to cancel the siesta in Spain in any way, because it is unrealistic.
So what is siesta?
The word siesta itself goes back to the Latin expression “Hora sexta” - the sixth hour, which corresponds to the afternoon in ancient Rome. Siesta is an afternoon break, sleep. The exact time of siesta, no one has ever installed. With high probability we can assume that this time from one to four o'clock in the afternoon. And it is quite reasonable. Considering the climatic conditions of Spain, it was at this time that the hottest rays of the sun. Moreover, recent scientific studies show that afternoon rest and sleep have a beneficial effect on the body’s tone and make it possible to more efficiently distribute physical vitality throughout the day.
It was not by chance that Winston Churchill, who adopted this custom in Cuba, the former Spanish colony, was an ardent champion of his, and in the war years, by 2 o'clock he was fresh and full of energy, while his colleagues were already exhausted.
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The Spaniards are very scrupulous in all that relates to food, not by chance, by the way, the idea of building a network of fast foods in Spain suffered a crushing collapse. And, of course, a hearty lunch and afternoon heat greatly contribute to siesta, afternoon rest.
During the siesta, almost all the shops are closed (except, perhaps, the largest, but there is a shift shift at this time), and there is no need to talk about small shops and shops, and they have customers to do it. there is no time anyway.
In siesta time pharmacies do not work, no business meetings are scheduled, most institutions are closed, making phone calls during a siesta is considered a bad form. Tourists visiting Spain (by the way - and Portugal too) should definitely bear in mind this national tradition.
Interesting Facts
- Greek researchers found that short-term sleep during the daytime reduces the percentage of mortality due to diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Spanish Siesta Championship
- In October 2010, a national spanish Siesta Championship. The championship was held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, in the Islazul shopping center. The championship expressed a desire to take part 360 people. “King of Siesta” was Pedro Soria Lopez, a 62-year-old native of Ecuador, who slept exactly 17 minutes out of the 20 allotted under the rules of 20. I note that he slept in a shopping complex that was visited by a considerable number of people and in general elevated level noise. When counting the balls to identify the winner, other factors were used, such as the picturesqueness of the sleeping posture and the loudness of snoring (Pedro made it 70 decibels),
Story
Etymology
Siesta championship
From October 14 to 23, 2010 in the Islasul shopping complex ( Islazul), located in the Madrid area Carabanchel (Spanish Carabanchel ), passed the I National Championship of Spain on siesta ( I Campeonato Nacional de Siesta). The competition was initiated by the NGO National Association of Friends of Siesta ( Asociación Nacional de Amigos de la Siesta), which promotes the Spanish tradition of an afternoon nap and advocates its preservation in conditions of a constant acceleration of the rhythm of life. 360 people took part in the championship (five applicants in each of eight daily rounds lasting twenty minutes). The winner was a sixty-two-year-old Ecuadorian Pedro Soria López ( Pedro Soria López), who scored the highest amount of points accrued on a number of indicators. The judges took into account, in particular, the speed of falling asleep (determined by the doctor according to the testimony