The Russian word for farewells is прощания. (The singular form of the word is прощание.) There are different ways of saying farewell, and they all depend on the situation. When my family was leaving for the US, our friends and family were afraid that we would not be able to come back, but they tried to stay calm and high spirited by saying «Желаем вам всего наилучшего» meaning “We wish you all the best”. When we arrived in Arizona, my family was very tired and we went to sleep fast that night. My aunt showed us the rooms and said «Спокойной ночи и до завтра» “Good night and till tomorrow.” The next morning we enjoyed a breakfast of waffles and orange juice. It was only 6:30AM when my aunt stood up and said «Боюсь, что мне пора на работу» “I'm afraid I should be going to work.” Surprised at how early my aunt was leaving, my mom said «До вечера» meaning “Till evening,” and my aunt ran out the door.

Once in a while my mom called my grandmother in Russia and talked about family matters. At the end of the conversation, my mom always said «Передавай привет папе» meaning “Send my regards to Dad,” and my grandmother said «Хорошо, пока!» meaning “Okay, bye!” Whenever my grandfather talked to my mother on the phone, he became emotional because he missed our family very much, so he stayed off the phone and communicated through my grandmother. When someone says пока, this is usually a term used when talking to family or friends. However, when talking to strangers, co-workers, or other unrelated people, it is more polite to use the phrase «До свидания» “Goodbye” instead.