Galician Culture: Lesson 1

I have decided to periodically throw in tidbits of the culture here that interest me, make me laugh, etc. This installment is titled, Greetings from Lugo

Many of us have learned from Sesame Street or a high school Spanish class that Hola is typically used to say "Hello", and Adios and Hasta luego are used when saying "Goodbye" in Spanish. So, imagine my surprise when I first heard people passing each other on the street saying Adios or Hasta luego. I thought the first two or three people were just a fluke, but after a couple of days, I realized it was EVERYBODY here. I never once heard an Hola come out of anyone's mouth. So, of course, I asked my fellow teachers, and they confirmed my observation. Still, I wondered why it is that these people say goodbye to each other even if it's the first time they've seen them in a while. Some have guessed it's because since it's a smaller city, and most people walk around, they expect to see each other again relatively soon. But, that doesn't explain the use of Adios. Others have said it may be that if someone says Hola it means the person wants to stop and talk, so they all say goodbye instead to indicate that they're just giving them a polite nod. I have yet to delve deeper into this question, but I am still curious about it. I am also finally getting the hang of it now after a few months. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to break the Hola habit.