Moving somewhere is full of many fun challenges. Whether it’s locating the best new property in your preferred locale or buying new furniture for your house, most people don’t consider the subtler changes in local culture. No matter where you’re coming from, we can guarantee that there will be aspects of Costa del Sol that you won’t have been exposed to anywhere else in the world.

Before you succumb to culture shock, we’re bringing you some of the fascinating local customs of Malaga, Spain.

The Biznaga
Walking around Malaga, you’re very likely to see depictions or handfuls of jasmine flowers tied with a thistle stem. This is known as the biznaga and is considered the symbol of Malaga. The word biznaga comes from the Arabic phrase “gift of God” and is a popular thing for restaurants and shops to display in their windows.

Siestas
There is one downside of living in a place where the sun is always out: the dog days of summer. It can get over 40 degrees C in the summertime, so it’s no wonder that Spanish people don’t want to work too hard in the late afternoons. Many shops, restaurants, and other places of work will close around 2 or 3 in the afternoon and reopen later in the evening once everything has had a chance to cool off. When the sun is beating down on you, you might be inclined to go lay down for a siesta too!

Late Suppertime
Depending on where you’re coming from, you might be used to sitting down to supper at around 530 or 630 PM. As most Europeans will tell you, that’s far too early for your evening meal. In Spain, most restaurants won’t even open to dinner-goers until 730 PM. We highly recommend having a big lunch if you tend to get hungry early in the evening since you won’t be able to go out until much later.

Ordering Coffee
For people used to walking into their favorite joint and asking for a cup of joe, this one might be the biggest shock on the list. There are a whopping eight different ways of ordering coffee in Malaga! Each way is based on the percentage of milk to coffee in your cup. Some people want a long coffee, a short one, a shade, or even a cloud.

City of Festivals
It seems like every day is a party on the Costa del Sol, but maybe more so in Malaga. From the flamenco festival in late December (Fiesta Mayor de Verdiales) with traditional folk dancers in fantastic costumes to the largest religious celebration in Spain in July (Virgen del Carmen) when you can watch the fishing boat adorned with flowers in a procession, there’s never a dull moment for the residents of Costa del Sol. Don’t worry if you aren’t religious yourself; everyone is thrilled to share their cultural traditions with newcomers and spread the joy of celebration with people regardless of affiliation. Rich Cultural Traditions in Costa del Sol.