New Year’s Eve is one of the fewest holidays, which Armenians continue to celebrate not just to show on “Television” but in reality. However, the mentality of celebrating Christmas is also Armenian. Unlike those Europeans, who our political actors want to integrate with, we Armenians celebrate New Year’s Eve not to enjoy ourselves but to make others “envy” the opulence of our tables.
For example, many TV networks do different kinds of “fancy tricks”. This is done not to satisfy the audience but to “exasperate” the other TV networks. Different shops of the city made their saleswomen (by the way they were hired by well-known announcements) wear Snow Maiden apparel so that the Santa Claus customers won’t run to other competitors. Those who have children in the US or Moscow immediately leave for “hot countries” not just to warm up or meet the relatives but to later tell their friends and neighbors that their children are so great because they haven’t let them celebrate New Year’s Eve alone.
The “spoilt” mass is divided into several categories.
1. Those, who celebrate the New Year in their Mediterranean mansions.
2. Those, who leave for Paris, London, etc.
3. Those, who order restaurants not to have any other customers besides themselves.
Note: The most “spoilt” ones, who have done all those “fancy” things long ago, spend the New Year in their Yerevan apartments with their families and close friends. Indeed, they don’t forget to invite a Snow Maiden or a Santa Claus to their houses to cheer up their kids.
The students “lie” to their parents, claiming that they are preparing for winter exams in order not to do anything in the house. But everybody knows how they study and how they will pass their exams in January. The parliament deputies are extremely happy. Besides the fact that there is no need to go to the National Assembly (official vacation) they have the most luxurious period for their private businesses. The opposition is also happy. No one is going to look for a “mine” these days. Everybody is looking for pyrotechnics to “blow up” on New Year’s Eve. The city patrol works in maximal tension to earn the money for the “New Year ham” as soon as possible because in 3 or 4 days their bosses will forbid them of “robbing” people.
Regarding the fact that we also celebrate Christmas besides New Year, our nation (1700 years of Christianity) hasn’t yet understood that the whole Christian world celebrates Christmas more luxuriously than New Year’s Eve. But Armenian mentality is different. We remember God only when we are in trouble. And hardly anyone is in trouble during New Years’ Eve. Armenians are in trouble after January 15. This is when they totally spend their money on food and they start to pray to God to have food on the table.
But I am an optimist Christian and am sure that in 2006 Armenians won’t forget anything and will celebrate New Year’s Eve in a very cheerful mood to make sure that the coming year will be successful for them. And the “snow girl” will not visit the “daddies” this time but their children because the “daddies” take care of their “needs” during the whole year.
Thus, Happy New Year and Merry Christmas.