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Festivals in Spain

Spain has a lot of local festivals that are worth going to.

• Córdoba en Mayo (Cordoba in May) - great month to visit the Southern city
• Las Cruces (1st week in May) - big flower-made crosses embellishing public squares in the city center, where you will also find at night music and drinking and lot of people having fun!
• Festival de Patios - one of the most interesting cultural exhibitions, 2 weeks when some people open doors of their houses to show their old Patios full of flowers
• Cata del Vino Montilla-Moriles - great wine tasting in a big tent in the city center during one week in May
• Fallas - Valencia's festival in March - burning the "fallas" is a must
• Seville's April Fair - flamenco dancing, drinking sherry, bullfights
• San Fermines - July in Pamplona, Navarra.
• Fiesta de San Isidro - May 15 in Madrid - a celebration of Madrid's patron saint.
• Holy week - best in Seville and the rest of Andalusia; also interesting in Valladolid
• Carnival - best in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Cádiz
• Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos (Three wise men parade) - on the eve of epiphany, 5th of January, the night before Spanish kids get their Christmas presents, it rains sweets and toys in every single town and city
• La Tomatina - a giant tomato fight in Buñol
• Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians, mostly found in Southeastern Spain during spring time) - parades and "battles" remembering the fights of medieval ages

Talk

Unsurprisingly, the offical and universal language used in Spain is Spanish (español, castellano), but it's more complicated than that, as it differs in pronunciation and other details. It is part of the Romance family of languages, and is more properly called Castilian (castellano). However, there are a number of languages spoken in various parts of Spain, some of these languages are dominant in their respective regions, and they are co-official with Castilian.
In addition to the native languages, English or French are commonly studied in school. If you are visiting a touristic area you will find people who are fluent in several languages. You won't be so lucky in other places as most Spaniards speak English rather poorly. Your best bets are young urban people. Speak slowly, use simple words and don't hesitate to use gestures or a notebook to be understood. French is the most widely understood in the north-east of Spain, as majority of travelers there come from France.
Locals will appreciate any attempts you do to speak their local language.

Buy in Spain

Spain is part of the European Union and the Eurozone; as such it replaced Spanish Pesetas(symbol: pts) with the Euro (symbol: €) in the year 2002. Since it has been only a few years since the introduction of Euro cash, a few people will still use the old national currency conversion. For example, it is entirely possible that a Spaniard would still refer to pesetas (166,386 pts = 1 €, 1.000 pts = 6 €) to convert into euros later. This is much due to the huge presence of peseta, and "her" many nicknames in colloquial Spanish.
Designer shops: Besides well-known mass brands which is known around the world (Zara, Mango, Bershka, Camper), Spain has many designer brands which are more hard to find outside Spain--and may be worth looking for if you shop for designer wear while travelling.
Souvenirs
Apart from classical tourist souvenirs, here are some things that are hard to find elsewhere, or even unique.
Kukuxumusu t-shirts: Creative series of good-quality T-shirts which are both funny and on the topic of Spain as seen by tourists. Produces some custom series for regional specifics like San Fermin event.

Respect

• Spaniards in general are very patriotic about both their country and/or the region in which they live. Avoid arguments about whether people from Catalonia, Galicia or the Basque Country are Spaniards or not.
• It is customary to kiss friends, family, and acquaintances on both cheeks upon seeing each other and saying goodbye. Male-to-male kisses of this sort are limited to family members --a firm handshake is expected instead. The same goes to all Latin American countries.
• Spaniards of all regions are keen to maintain physical contact while talking, such as putting a hand on your shoulder, patting your back, etc. These should be taken as signs of friendship.
• During lunch or dinner, Spaniards do not begin eating until everyone is seated and ready to eat. Likewise, they do not leave the table until everyone is finished eating. Table manners are otherwise standard and informal.
• When Spaniards receive a gift or are offered a drink or a meal, they usually refuse for a bit, so as not to seem greedy. This sometimes sparks arguments among especially reluctant people, but it is seen as polite. Remember to offer more than once (on the third try it must be fairly clear if they will accept it or not). On the other hand, if you are interested in the offer, politely smile and decline it, saying that you don't want to be a nuisance, etc. but relent and accept when they insist.
• When in a car, the elderly and pregnant always ride in the passenger's seat, unless they request not to.
• Appearing drunk in public is generally frowned upon.
• In Spanish beaches it is okay for women to sunbathe topless. This practice is particularly common in touristic areas. Full nudity is only allowed in "clothing-optional" or nudist beaches.
• The Yoke-and-Arrows, the Imperial Eagle, the Nazi swastika, and other Falangist/Facist symbols are all banned by law. Do not attempt to wear anything related to Fascist movements, not even as a joke. Many Spaniards-- not just those of the left-- have painful and bitter memories of the Franco regime. It is well-enforced, and you will be fined or, worse, sent to jail.