Khash for hangovers and other New Year’s traditions

Growing up in a multi-generational Armenian household, New Year’s Eve was much like Saturday mornings, except the laundry and cleaning were on turbo drive. You see, the Armenian women in my family faithfully believed that starting a new year with dirty laundry, dirty house and dirty sheets would carry over the dirty demons from the previous year. And that meant the hampers needed to be completely emptied before any celebrations began.

Fast forward to the next generation, when I waived the Saturday morning cleaning rituals with my children but not the New Year’s Eve laundry and cleaning extravaganza. You can decide whether this is an Armenian superstition, folktale or tradition. As for me, I’m too afraid to care about the difference and believe my mother Rose and grandmother Lucy will haunt me from Heaven if I don’t comply. Now that my children are grown and on their own, they dodge my texts leading up to and on New Year’s Eve knowing full well what I will be checking on. Thankfully, there are young grandchildren to indoctrinate and keep the tradition moving forward.