Նոր Տարի (New Year's)

I stayed with my host family for New Year's, Armenia's biggest holiday.  It is a bit of a combination of Christmas and New Year's  celebrations.  Dmzer Papik (grandfather winter) brings presents for children, and everyone stays up until a countdown to the new year and everyone drinks champagne.  But midnight is really just the beginning of the New Year Celebrations, and a large meal is eaten at midnight and countless toasts are done to celebrate the New Year.

That is a 3 liter bottle of Smirnoff.  Except it's filled with homemade pair vodka.  And you use a  pump.

The table is set.

Then the days following are filled with visiting countless houses of relatives, being visited by countless relatives at your house, and eating and drinking at every house you are at.  This goes on until about the 6th of January, which is Armenian Christmas.

Also Armenians enjoy using the Chinese zodiac for the new year, and this year, being the Year of the Dragon (Happy Chinese New Year!  It was few days ago!), I saw this new year calendar:

It says 'Year of the Dragon (Vishap)'

Total Maiden or Dio cover, am I right?  I think there is a dragon underneath the guy or . . . I really have no idea, but it's awesome.  Much better than those rabbits from last year!