Memories of Canada

Beautiful decorations in malls, on streets and houses. Set up right after or right before Thanksgiving. Same carols played and replayed a million times. Lists. Marathon shopping. December 24, Christmas Eve. Boxing Day. Credit cards full to the limit. Finish line, New Year.
January the 2nd, business as usual. More sales. Boxing Day extended to Boxing weeks.
Hey! Don’t take down the decorations; don’t disassemble the Christmas Tree. What happened to the Armenian Christmas?!
Actually the 6th is a working day. If you insist, you’re permitted to take the day off.

To be frank, commercialization of holidays was not the reason that brought me to Yerevan. But it’s the reason I avoid North America for this time of the year.

Nowadays, Yerevan came out of inertia and showed signs of New Year related activities. Like assembling a huge Christmas tree on the Republic Square (one third already assembled).

Nowadays, I would not mind hearing a carol or two.

There’s no frenzy, but people are shopping mostly for food. New Year Eve the traditional table will be set with drinks and food including Pork leg (jugo) and kufte. For thirteen days, (eleven of which are official non working days), there will be a festive mood. The table will wait for any visitor who might drop in, unannounced. Food, drinks, toasts for a better future.
On the 6th the religious and not-so-religious will go to church.

As for me, please no drop ins. Call before you visit. And no I don’t cook pork or kufte and there’s no permanent set table.

Does that make me a hybrid?

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Shnorhavor Soorp Dznoont to you all.