Epress.am News from Armenia
Several Armenian MPs prefer to greet the new year in Armenia. They, along with one extra-parliamentary opposition representative, took a few moments out of their day to describe to Epress.am how they’re preparing to spend the winter holidays this year, whilst sharing their impressions and memories of New Year’s past and current.
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) MP Artsvik Minasyan said though he has marked many a memorable New Year’s Eve, he is most impressed by one particular incident that occurred during his student years.
“The incident took place in my hometown — in the Shenik village of the region formerly known as Baghramyan. As per our custom, my friends and I spent the entire night of Dec. 13 strolling in the streets. During one of these regular strolls, under the influence of a strong alcoholic beverage, I spent 4–5 hours sleeping in a ditch. My friends — no less drunk — came to help me and dragged me out of the ditch,” he said.
This year, Minasyan said, he’ll be celebrating NYE at home. “I don’t remember any New Year’s Eve that I spent or greeted anywhere else. During this traditional holiday, I’m always at home — with my wife and children.
“Then, before the working year begins, I will visit relatives, friends and acquaintances, to congratulate their New Year. First I congratulate my family members, then I call my mother, then the same night I visit my brothers and go to my sister’s house.”
According to the MP, some of the important markers of their New Year’s Eve table is grape-leaf dolma (impressed upon him from childhood), the pork ham that has become mandatory in recent years, and the rest of the holiday dishes typical in Armenia this time of year.
“I like that all of the dishes at the table be prepared exclusively at home — I’ve never considered purchasing prepared foods,” he said.
Asked whether he believes in Santa Claus, Minasyan said, “Of course, I find that you shouldn’t stop believing in this fairy tale and must strive to turn it into reality.”
This year, the MP will be asking Santa Claus for rest and tolerance (both in the family and outside), a stable income, and more smiling eyes and happy and carefree faces, since, according to him, without a positive environment, both personal and family successes are meaningless. He says all this is a wish, a dream, and a toast.
Another MP who will be spending his New Year’s Eve in Armenia with his family is the Heritage Party’s Armen Martirosyan.
“I will be greeting the new year at home, with my family members. As per tradition, we spend the holidays as all traditional Armenian families do — by visiting the homes of relatives, friends and loved ones. Though there is nothing obligatory when it comes to the food, what’s important is lenten dolma, especially that prepared by my mother, and spas [Armenian yogurt soup], which is without exception prepared at home on Jan. 2,” he said.
Prosperous Armenia MP Naira Zohrabyan likewise will be spending New Year’s Eve at home with her family.
“There won’t be pork ham at our New Year’s table this year — this is because ham is hard to digest and, in my opinion, is quite a pointless dish. Instead, there will be different types of cheese, salads, fruit and good chocolates.
“We don’t particularly have traditional dishes, [but] I very much like my mother’s crepes. I myself like to prepare fruit salads,” she said.
As to visits and hospitality over the holidays, Zohrabyan said:
“I’m not a big fan of loud, noisy events and gatherings. During the holidays, I prefer calm and I think, just as I do, so does everyone else, want to rest during those days. I don’t like the reciprocal ‘hellos’ and ‘congratulations’ or the ‘good-bye; tomorrow we’ll come to your place’ and similar expressions. Naturally, I readily welcome guests, but I avoid going as a guest to others’ homes, though I am always confronted with my family members’ resistance. For at least 10 days, I try to break away from reality — neither watch the news nor read political news in the papers or online news sites, and instead to read that [piece of] literature which we don’t manage to read for the entire year. This is the most convenient time to relax and though it might seem unusual, I am able to coordinate it.”
Levon Zurabyan, who coordinates the day-to-day affairs of the extra-parliamentary opposition bloc the Armenian National Congress (HAK), will also celebrate NYE at home, after which he will go to the park with Martiros Saryan’s statue — where for 4 years now HAK representatives and activists will be marking the new year.
“Generally, I think that New Year’s Eve is a very private holiday and it shouldn’t be made a subject of political interviews,” he said.
Republican Party of Armenia MP Hovhannes Sahakyan, in turn, will be greeting the new year in his hometown — the city of Spitak in the Armenian province of Lori. He mentioned how every year, he and his brothers’ families all gather in their paternal home, celebrate together, share well wishes and have a good time with their loved ones.
“Since the coming year is somewhat exceptional and the elections are before us, we must rest well. After Jan. 2–3, I’ll be in Jermuk. I will relax for a few days there, go skiing — I love skiing. I will arrive in Yerevan the 7th or 8th [of the month] and get back to work, so that we have normal elections,” he said.