What Are Some of the Cultural Taboos in Spain?

Cultural taboos in Spain include being overly friendly or engaging in close body contact with someone, such as hugging or patting someone’s back, who isn’t a close friend or family member. Standing too far away during conversation or moving the hands a lot while speaking is also not appropriate, even if the Spanish person models the behavior.

There are also many topics that are considered inappropriate for polite conversation, including bullfighting, gender roles, the Spanish Civil War, politics and religion. It is also considered improper to wear shorts in a public setting, eat without utensils or complain about someone smoking.