Botellón

Botellón (pronounced: [boteˈʎon]; Spanish for "big bottle") is typically a nighttime (often a daytime) Spanish activity when people congregate in public areas to socialize while drinking alcohol (street drinking). The activity is popular among teenagers and young adults partly in response to rising drink prices at bars or clubs, and partly because more people can meet in one place. Botellón is not an alternative to typical nightlife, but is rather an economical way to drink with people before going out to bars, discos, or clubs.

The origins of botellón trace back to Andalusia in the 1980s. Workers began buying alcohol to drink outdoors in areas such as plazas or parks instead of spending money in a bar or club. Young people, especially students, adopted the concept of botellón in the '90s and it first appeared in the city of Cáceres (Extremadura). It is believed botellón has a correlation to an earlier closing times of nightclubs and bars. However, today, botellón is a common and accepted custom and is sometimes even regulated in cities.

Botellón usually begins around 11:00 p.m. and ends around 3:00 a.m. when many people move to a bar or club.

Participants of botellón are typically young ranging from young teenagers to young adults. The majority of participants are male, who make up about 58% of the group, while the other 42% are female, with over two-thirds of them (70%) taking part in botellón on a weekly basis.

According to a study, "El Fenómeno del Botellón," that compares the Spanish autonomous communities of Madrid, Galicia, and Jaéns' botellón phenomena, the more popular drinks during botellón are mixed drinks, kalimotxo (wine mixed with soda), and beer, while the less favorable drinks are cider, wine, and champagne. Furthermore, the heavy consumption of alcohol during botellón has raised some concerns, and according to statistics, 64.2% are drinking the entire botellón while only 5.9% aren't drinking at all.

Another common practice during botellón is cigarette smoking. There is no concrete evidence as to the relation of smoking and drinking, but one belief is because as participants reach the age to purchase alcohol they also reach the age to purchase cigarettes. Another issue of botellón is the use of cannabis. However, there is only speculation about its use and is believed not to be as prevalent as drinking or cigarette smoking.

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Wikipedia