Often foreigners have doubts or hesitations when they greet or meet someone in Spain. Should they give a kiss on the cheek? Is it appropriate to give hugs? It is very usual to have these kind of questions when you first get to know a country or culture.

Different countries, different traditions

Latin American greetings traditions

Both in Latin America and in Spain greetings are generally handshaking and on informal occasions kissing on the cheek, even among strangers. In Colombia the usual greeting among men is a handshake. Women, however, prefer a verbal greeting or kiss on the cheek. The greeting in Argentina in most cases is a single kiss on the cheek even among men, although it depends on the degree of familiarity. In Mexico, for example, the greeting between two men is limited to a handshake.

Spanish greetings traditions

In Spain, it is advisable to distinguish formal situations from informal ones. The greeting with a kiss is seen among people who have a close or family relationship: between parents and children, close friends etc. Men do not often greet each other with kisses unless they have a family relationship instead they rather shake hands. It's not often give hugs when introduced to someone, this is available for people who maintain a close relationship as friends or family. Between friends, in addition to hugging often accompanies with a pat on the back.

For verbal greeting, “¡Hola!” is used as a valid and neutral greeting almost any occasion yet on formal occasions, it will be more correct to use expressions like “¡Buenos días!”, “¡Buenas tardes!” and “¡Buenas noches!” which also can be used to say goodbye. On informal occasions, there are a variety of expressions like: ¿Qué pasa?, “¡Buenas!”. If you are introduced to someone new, you can say Encantado/a or Mucho gusto. And while saying goodbye generally these expressions are used“¡Hasta luego!” , “¡Nos vemos! or simply" Chao! ".

After a while you get used to both customs and the culture and there is no reason to hesitate to do the right gesture as Spanish people are very welcoming and warm. However, if you are still in doubt, you can wait for the first move and do what the other person does. Bear in mind that best things in life happen at the hellos and goodbyes!

Vocabulary set

Here is a small list of Spanish vocabulary used at greetings and farewells:

There are many Spanish Sayings, which can also be found in Dutch (part of a sentence, to clarify a situation), below you will find some well-known ones.

"Afición, ciega razón" 
"Amateur, blind reason."

"Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres." 
"Tell me who you hang out with and I'll tell you who you are."

"Si no hay pan, no hay pan" 
"No bread, no bread."

"Las apariencias engañan"
"Appearances can be deceiving."

"Al buen callar llaman Sancho"
"Good silence is called Sancho."

"Mi casa y mi hogar cien doblas val." 
"My house and my home a hundredfold val."

"Quien fía o promete, en deuda se mete." 
"Who trusts or promises, gets into debt."

"Quien mal intenta, pagará la cuenta" 
"Whoever tries wrong will pay the bill."

"Mientras haya vida, habrá esperanza" 
"As long as there is life, there is hope."

“Nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena”
“It's never too late if it's too late.”

“Dame pan y dime tonto.”
“Give me bread and call me a fool.”

“Solo se vive una vez.”
“You only live once.”

“El mundo es un pañuelo.”
“The world is a handkerchief.”

“Más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando.”
“A bird in the hand is better than a hundred in the air..”

There are many international celebrities Spanish from writer to singer to architect the Formula One driver. Below-Pair A Whole known, of course, uh, of course, many more.

Film director
Pedro Almodóvar, born Sept. 24, 1951, is a very well-known film director in Spain. Pedro has won many Grammy awards with his Spanish-language films. Pedro often brought to light difficult themes in his films such as prostitution, homosexuality, drug abuse and abuses in the Catholic Church. 

Architect
Antoni Gaudí, two words, Sagrada Familia, who does not know it or has never heard of it. Gaudí is considered the founder of organic architecture. Gaudí died from a train accident near his Sagrada Familia where he was every day and followed everything closely about developments in construction. Today, work on the Sagrada Familia is still going on, and it is predicted to be finally finished in 2026.

Artist
Pablo Picasso, October 25, 1881 - April 8, 1973, was a Spanish draughtsman, painter, graphic artist , sculptor and ceramicist. He was one of the most famous Spanish painters. Picasso's best-known work was the nearly 4-meter-long painting called Guernica.

Formula 1
Fernando Alonso, born July 29, 1981, is a two-time Formula One world champion. He became the youngest ever world champion on Sept. 25, 2005! Alonso caused amazement by the high speed at which he entered his races and usually won.

Actor and actress
A famous Spanish actor is definitely Antonio Banderas with his sultry eyes. A famous Spanish actress is without a doubt Penélope Cruz.

Footballers
We can almost say that almost the entire Spanish national soccer team is well-known. Surely the most famous are Iker Casillas, Raúl, Carles Puyol, Fernando Torres, David Villa and Gerard Piqué. Famous and infamous among the Dutch.

Singers
Julio Iglesias, first soccer player and un one of Spain's best-selling Spanish singers. And father of the famous Enrique Iglesias who makes many hearts beat faster. In the opera world Plácido Domingo is a household name, he has sung with Pavoratti, among others, and he is still active today.

Writer
Surely the most famous and important Spanish writer is Miguel de Cervantes. Author of the novel "Don Quijote de la Mancha"( The ingenious nobleman Don Quixote of La Mancha). The book is one of the first novels written in a modern European language. The story tells the travel adventures of an old nobleman who thinks he is a knight (Don Quixote- idealist and a foolish hero) Cervantes was also the author of about 20 plays. 

Tennis player
Rafael Nadal, born June 3, 1986, is Spain's best Spanish tennis player. Currently, Rafael is ranked No. 2 in the world according to the ATP (Novak Djokovic is No. 1). His nickname is the King of Gravel, he owes this to his many victories on this surface.

There is some controversy about whether or not this story is true and a quick Internet search reveals all kinds of arguments, but, we think it is interesting and worth a mention.

According to a group of archaeologists, 1,100 year old Mayan ruins have been discovered at Track Rock Gap, near Georgia´s tallest mountain. Investigators believe that 154 stone masonry walls are visible, used for creating agricultural terraces, as well as other stone structures. The Mayans are known for having implemented advanced irrigation systems, adapting to difficult terrains. Some believe that the site could, in fact, be the lost city of Yupaha, which Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto failed to find on an expedition in 1540.

Some theorize that the Mayans made the move north around 800 AD, when the once flourishing population began to collapse due to volcanic eruptions, wars and extreme drought. In fact, strong similarities in architectural forms of towns along southern Mexico and southeastern USA have documented and some agronomists believe that corn, beans and tobacco was introduced to the Native Americans from those who migrated north from Mexico.

Despite all these theories, no ruins have ever been found in the US that have been attributed to people who originated in what today is Mexico. Although, many point out that Native American tribes such as the Creeks, Alabamas, Natchez, Chitmachas and Choctaws may be descendants of southern indigenous groups and particularly point out the use of Mesoamerican words in the Creek Indian language, for example.

The mystery remains: Where did the Mayans go? Archaeologists know that the Mayan civilization suffered a rapid collapse and for 170 years they have debated what exactly happened to the vast number of people that once thrived in the area. Mass immigration has been hard to prove and many archeologists have concluded that the Mayans simply died in masse.

However, in the Georgian Mountains there has always been “evidence”. Ruins found around the state were usually attributed to the Cherokee Indians, who denied having created the circular structures and wall terraces on the mountaintops and mountainsides. In the mid-20^th Century, modernization in Georgia led to little conservation of these “Indian” mounds and stone structures, most being swept away to give way to highways and other construction projects. It wasn’t until the late 20^th century that the state took at active role in trying to conserve this part of its history, the most famous site being the ruins of Fort Mountain State Park.

In 1999, an archaeologist named Mark Williams from the University of Georgia led a group to study the southeastern side of Brasstown Bald. The ruins survived reveal a massive 5 sided pyramidal mound, possibly dating back to 900 AD, partially sculpted out of an existing hill with clay. Of all the indigenous tribes of the Americas, only the Itza Mayas and the Creek Indian ancestors have been known to build 5-sided earth pyramids as their principal mounds, and dozens of similar structures can be found in Central America.

Other reasons to suspect a Mayan presence in the area can be found on early maps of the area. The name “Itsate” can be found. “Itsate” is the name that the Itza Mayans used to call themselves.

An archaeological survey by Loubser’s firm surveyed the area and is said to have done soil dating which estimated that some of the shards were made around 760 AD – 850 AD, around the time that the Mayan population plummeted. The study offered no firm conclusions, but did state that examples of similar sites only exist in the Maya Highlands of South America.

Is Track Rock Gap the “missing link” that archaeologists and architects had been seeking since 1841? Did the Mayas make their way North and establish new cities? There are many debates… If the site does prove specific links between the Southeastern Native Americas and the ancient Mayans, then, according to Thornton, this could be the “most important archeological discovery in recent times.”

Everywhere you go in the world New Year's Eve is typically the biggest night out on the calendar and in Salamanca, a city renowned for the quality of its nightlife, this is no exception. However, it seems a bit odd to ring in a New Year with all the typical fanfare and celebrations in the middle of December, just as students at Salamanca's University do every year.

Even though actual New Year is still more than two weeks away, it is tradition that students from the university and beyond gather in Salamanca on the 15^th of December for one huge fiesta to celebrate before everyone goes home for Christmas. How huge? Try upwards of 30,000 people crammed into the city's spectacular renaissance Plaza Mayor. Just look at the pictures to get an idea of the atmosphere.

Seeing as my time left in Salamanca is now limited to just a few more days, I couldn't possibly miss out on experiencing la Nochevieja Universitaria. Even walking around the city during the day you could notice that the atmosphere was different with large happy groups of students gathering around and watching as a huge stage was being set up on Plaza Mayor. La Nochevieja Universitaria is a renowned event across the whole of Spain and Portugal with lots of universities organising big trips that descend on Salamanca for just one night to then leave, slightly worse for wear the next morning.

By 11pm the Plaza Mayor was already packed with people dancing away to what was quite possibly the best and only techno/electro violin player I will ever see live. Then an hour later it was time for the big countdown. Tradition in Spain dictates that at proper New Year (i.e. December 31^st) you should eat a grape every time the clock chimes at midnight. However, at la Nochevieja Universitaria eating grapes is considered bad luck and sweets are used as a substitute. Consequently, watching the concentration on the faces of 30,000 plus people intent on stuffing their mouths with sweets in order to keep up with the chiming clock was entertaining to watch to say the least.

After the countdown the Plaza gradually empties and people pour into the surrounding bars and clubs for what is undoubtedly one of their busiest nights of the year. As is typical of Spanish nights out, the night doesn't actually end until well into the day after and walking to work there were still people (clearly they are the ones with stamina who know how to pace themselves) outside some clubs and on the streets. A fantastic if slightly bizarre experience, I don't quite know what else to say except...

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Pictures of the new 2011 green and red lighting in Salamanca's world famous Plaza Mayor:

When most people think of the greatest Spanish contributions to the world, perhaps the most immediate things to spring to mind are flamenco music, tapas, and siestas. The Spaniards are not famed for the inventors. Painters, writers and poets perhaps; but it is a little known fact that Spain is responsible for some incredibly important, and some rather wacky innovations. Here is a rundown of 10 of the most significant and some of the most unusual inventions to come from Spain:

1. Chupa Chups- The famous lollipops that line cash registers across the world were initially created by the Catalonian Enric Bernat in 1958. An idea that sprung from seeing a child being told off for making a mess when eating sweets, evolved into an internationally, booming company. By simply placing a stick in a sweet, Bernat revolutionized the sweet world!

2. Mop- The first mop was invented by aeronautical engineer, Manuel Jalon Corominas, and his friend Emilio Bellvis, both worked to create the first mop and bucket. Although there is some dispute as to which of the two claimed the initial idea.

3. The Submarine- The first combustion-powered prototypes created date back to 1859, belonged to the Catalonian Narciso Monturiol, who designed a manually propelled submarine known as the Ictíneo I. Isaac Peral was a fellow Spaniard who also revolutionized submarine navigation using electrical energy.

4. The Beret- While everyone associates berets with the typical French stereotype, in fact its origins are Spanish! Shepherds in the northern Basque country were the first people to wear them, and they are still very common to this day!

5. Cigarette- Although tobacco is native to America, cigarettes are a Spanish invention, that emerged when beggars began to collect any tobacco waste and wrap it up in thin sheets of paper to smoke. By 1825, cigarettes were being packaged and marketed, with the first packs being manufactured in 1833.

6. Chess- A claim that is sometimes disputed, but it is widely believed that the origin of one of the world’s most played games is Spanish. It is claimed that Valencia is responsible for the origins of the modern game, with radical rules created that evolved from ancient games

7. Molotov cocktail- this improvised incendiary device was first used in the Spanish Civil War. Franco ordered Spanish Nationalists to use the easily made bombs as a weapon in fighting against the Soviet Union, who were supporting the Republicans.

8. Autogyro- a type of rotorcraft invented by Spanish engineer Juan de la Cierva, who wanted to create an aircraft that could safely fly at slow speeds.

9. Table Football- the first patent for the games belongs to Alejandro Finisterre, who credits his friend Francisco Javier Altuna with the invention. However there has been dispute over this claim, with some stating that it belongs to a Brit.

10. Coca-Cola- the citizens of Ayelo de Malferit, near Valencia, claim that the famous drink actually originates from them. Juan Mica claims that his family were the first to invent the drink, called Nuez de Kola Coca’, which he then took to the US and sold the recipe. However this claim is still shrouded in dispute.

While some of the array of Spanish inventions are disputed, whether it’s famous lollipops, clean floors or groundbreaking developments in rotorcrafts, Spain has definitely provided the world with some undeniably useful inventions.

Yesterday marked the first day of the fantastic ‘The Hermitage in the Prado’, the biggest cultural project yet between Spain and Russia.

The exhibition which comprises of 120 works from the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, offers a broad display of the museum’s diverse art- spanning from artefacts created in the 4th & 5th century BC to 20th century paintings.

El Prado is the first museum outside of Russia to ever host such an exhibition, which is said to represent the pride and glory of Russia’s cultural heritage.

The exhibition is in fact the second half of a close partnership between the two museums. From February to May of this year, the Hermitage ran an exhibition showcasing some of the Spanish museum’s most celebrated works- including paintings of Goya and El Greco. The exhibition, 'The Prado in the Hermitage' was the most successful exhibition the museums has ever held, receiving more than 600,000 visitors. The partnership is part of a vast range of fascinating events and cultural exchanges that have been organised for the ‘Año Dual España-Rusia’ (see video below). Some of the events that have already taken place include cultural debates in Barcelona, Russian ballet in Madrid, art deco in Salamanca, flamenco dancing in Moscow and many more.

The Prado’s exhibition will run until the 25th March 2012, and not only is it showcasing some of Russia’s most celebrated artwork, but there will be also be some famous Spanish painters’ artwork temporarily returning home, including works by Pablo Picasso (see left), José de Ribera and Diego Velazquez.

With so much artistic diversity on display, the exhibition is set to be extremely popular, so too will the recent decision, that from the 16th January, the Prado will open every day of the week, no longer closing on Mondays, giving visitors chance to explore the depth of the Prado's extensive collection any day they wish!

The British Council and Cervantes Institute unite to battle common challenges with a book and plans for cooperation. It is probably no surprise that Spanish and English are two most dominant languages in the Western world. Up until now they probably viewed one another with caution, but new global tendencies require that the two languages unite to survive and meet the future challenges of other economic powers and influences. Together the British Council and Cervante's Institute have written a book called Palabra por Palabra, or Word for Word which examines the two languages and their upcoming challenges, particularly due to the unbridled expansion of Chinese, Arabic and Hindi.

The West's latitudes of influence may be changing. The idea of an Anglo-Saxon north and a Latin south has been blurring as the Hispanics spread north. The two cultural spheres represent a billion people whose first languages are English or Spanish. If you add to that number those who are learning one of these languages as a second language, the number doubles.

Carmen Caffarel, director of Cervantes Institute, explained that "this is the first step in analyzing challenges together between the two main languages within our spheres of influence" while Rod Pryde, director of the British Council headquarters in Madrid stated that "It is time to share perspectives".

The two languages will work together to find their place in the world, keeping in mind that learning Spanish and English increases the business and work opportunities for companies and people.

All of these aspects are discussed in the book Word for Word, which was presented yesterday at the Cervantes Institute in Madrid. Until know the English and Spanish institutions have worked solitarily, but now the reality in the US and around the world has inspired them to form strong alliances to ensure the growth and prosperity of both languages.

The US with an estimated 50 million Spanish speakers, second only to Mexico, has demonstrated that a peaceful coexistence between the languages can open many doors. Ángel López García, author of Anglohispanos explained that "It was the Americans, with their common sense, who have drawn the attention of the British and the Spaniards, from their distant and European orbit, to see the many opportunities that may result from a partnership".

Humberto López Morales has studied the effects of the coexistence of English and Spanish in the US and has found that that the general Spanish lexicon only varies by 1.6%. He noted that, after analyzing 430,000 words, that over 98% are in common use. Some attribute this success to maintain the common Spanish base to the Royal Spanish Academy which each year publishes an official dictionary and grammar in the Spanish language.

The demand for English and Spanish is also growing significantly in Asia and Brazil where, according to Alvaro Martinez Cachero, there are 5.5 students studying Spanish in academies and 25 million learning English. These areas of the globe represent real opportunities for expansion of both languages.

These are great advantages but there are also threats coming from the East. Rod Pryde asks "What will happen with Arabic, Chinese and Hindi in the near future? They are languages that are more difficult to learn, making it an obstacle for them to become global languages. But we cannot predict what will happen."

There is more to be learned from the new union between the British Council and the Cervantes Institute as explained by María José Ferrari: "It is clear that an institution like Cervantes, with a budget of 103 million euros and 20 years of experience, has a lot to learn from the British Council, with its more than 70 years of existence and 700 million pound budget (814 million euros), especially when two-thirds of that come from their own revenues and not state aid." She also explained that the British will hopefully experience "some humility" and to open their "world to other languages".

Spanish Ham is not "ham" as an American would normally understand the word. And it is definitely not like Italian prosciutto. So, the English language is kind of limited when it comes to pork products and the only word we have to describe this Spanish delicacy just doesn't really explain it or do it justice.

So before continuing, let’s take a look at the two types of products that Spaniards consider to be "jamón" (which again, is simply translated as "ham")

• Jamón Serrano: Is a dry-cured Spanish ham leg served raw in thin slices. Serrano hams are made from a white breed of pig and are not to be confused with the much more expensive and entirely different jamón iberico.

• Jamón Ibérico: Is a much more expensive version of Spanish ham, made from Iberian black pigs, fed special diets to produce a high quality high sought after Spanish cured ham leg.

Due to rigorous US laws, it has been quite a challenge for Spaniards to get their world famous product into the American market. In 2006, the first Spanish Ham exporter, Fermín, finally achieved this endeavor. Fermín is located in La Alberca in the province of Salamanca and prides itself on having penetrated the US market.

In fact, according to Cristina García, an employee of Fermín based in the USA and the only official Spanish ham cutter in the country, Americans have a lot to learn about this Spanish food.

THINGS AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IBERIAN HAM

1. Yes, Spanish ham should be cut by an official "ham cutter". Any Spaniard can tell you that. In fact, here in Spain they have special classes and licenses to get the job. No kidding, the way it is cut IS important.
2. Spanish ham is cut in thin slices and arranged on a plate from which various people share. No, you do not use a fork. You use your fingers. Yes, Spanish ham is a finger. No, you do not put any sauces on it. This is like blasphemy and there is no better way to upset a Spaniard. This is kind of like smothering a freshly roasted turkey on Thanksgiving with ketchup, or even worse, an expensive cut of T-bone steak. Just don't but sauce on it. Blasphemy, BLASPHEMY!
3. Yes, it is cured meaning it is pretty much raw. I mean, you know what "cured" means, right? Yes, it is cut directly off of what appears to be a pig leg. Yes, it is a pig leg. Yes, this is hard for Americans to get used to at first. And yes, if you come to Spain you will see these pig legs dangling from ceilings, kitchents, and on most bar counters.
4. Spanish ham is usually cut to include a small amount of fat in each slice. YES you should eat this. No, it won't make you fat. Yes, Spanish ham is actually quite healthy for you! According to Cristina García, most Americans request the fat to be removed. Again: BLASPHEMY! :)
5. No, it is not Spanish prosciutto, and no, Spanish ham has nothing to do with Italian ham. Let's try not to confuse things :)

For those of you who doubt the exquisiteness of this Spanish food, let me just tell you that Fermín Iberian ham was included in this year’s menu for the Oscars. To give you an idea of how exclusive it is in the US, every portion served at the Oscars cost $600!!!!!

So now you can find Spanish ham in the USA, albeit it is still hard to find and costly. You can always come to Spain to study Spanish to more easily access the Spanish delicacy. Remember the tips I gave you as you wouldn't want to offend people!

Money can achieve many things, for example, you can pay your favorite singer to cross the Atlantic Ocean to give you a private concert with your four favorite songs.

A billionaire Spaniard, whose identity is still unknown, is paying Cristina Aguilera 2.4 million to do just that.

The news broke this week by famous celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.

According to sources, she will quickly and anonymously enter Spain, date and exact destination unknown, give the private concert and return home.

Each song will be costing the Aguilera fan a whopping half a million per song. Ouch. Hopefully he has a good idea about which songs he wants to hear!

This is not the first time she has been hired for a private performance. IN 2005 she gave Andrei Melnichenko a birthday show for a million dollars. Another rich Russian, Kerimov, also hired the blonde bombshell for a similar performance.

Other singers known to give private concerts are Shakira, to the young Vinita Agarwal, as well as the recently deceased Amy Winehouse