If you drove through Glendale or North Hollywood this week, you probably saw Christmas trees on the curb and lights coming down. But for us, the holiday season has one last, vital chapter.
Tomorrow, January 13th, is Hin Nor Tari (Old New Year).
While the rest of California is back to the grind of the 9-to-5, we are preparing for a celebration that is arguably more intimate and "ours" than the chaotic party of December 31st. At Armat, we believe that preserving our armatner (roots) means understanding why we celebrate, not just when.
Here is your guide to keeping the Old New Year alive in the Diaspora, from the "First Footer" to the dishes you need on your table tonight.
Why Do We Celebrate Twice?
The Ritual: The "First Footer"
Traditions Worth Remembering
The Menu: What to Eat Tonight
1. Tarehats: The Bread of Luck
2. Khashil: The Soul of Artsakh3. Pasuts Tolma: The Seven Grains
Why Do We Celebrate Twice?
It isn’t just because we love a good party (though we do). Hin Nor Tari exists because of the difference between two calendars. The Julian calendar, used historically by the Armenian Church, is currently 13 days behind the modern Gregorian calendar. As a result, January 1 according to the old system falls on January 14 today.
Over time, Armenians began celebrating both. January 1 became the public, modern New Year. January 14 remained the quiet, traditional, family-centered New Year, filled with rituals that survived centuries of change, including the Soviet period when religious and cultural customs were often practiced privately at home.
Unlike January 1, Hin Nor Tari is intimate. It is about the hearth, the table, and the family. The belief is that how the year begins is how it continues.
The Ritual: The "First Footer"
In California, we might have Ring doorbells instead of village gates, but the tradition of the First Footer is timeless.
The belief is simple: the first person to cross your threshold after midnight (or on the morning of the 14th) dictates the luck of the house for the coming year.
The Strategy: Don’t leave it to chance! Invite someone known for their good heart, success, or "light foot" (tetev votk) to step in first.
The Action: They should step in with their right foot and scatter grains or coins to ensure prosperity.
Traditions Worth Remembering
In the Shirak region of Armenia, particularly in Gyumri and surrounding villages, there was a New Year's Eve (or Christmas, depending on the specific community's tradition) practice where young people or children would lower baskets or bundles down the chimney into a home.
This tradition was known as Kakhani (also referred to as Kahuka, Gotekah, or Chlolunk in Eastern Armenia). The participants would sing songs and offer wishes, and in return, the lady of the house was expected to fill the containers with fruits, nuts, sweets, and other small gifts. This practice has links to ancient pre-Christian customs and survived in some areas longer than others, though it became less common in the mid-twentieth century.
Another beloved Shirak tradition is Asilik-Vasilik. This custom involved making figures in the shape of people, animals, or wallets, typically on New Year's Eve.
Key Aspects of the Tradition:
Materials: The dolls were made from a specific dough, often decorated with raisins and nuts, and brushed with egg before baking.
Characters: Asiliks were female dolls, and Vasiliks were male dolls, with the male figures distinguished by a pronounced belt.
Fortune-Telling: The outcome of the baking process was used to predict the family's luck for the coming year:
Good luck was indicated if the dough swelled during baking.
Bad luck was predicted if the dough shrank.
Specific outcomes included predictions of a new bride having a child if her doll's "stomach" swelled, or a wealthy year if a wallet-shaped cookie puffed up.
The Menu: What to Eat Tonight
Hin Nor Tari is not about the expensive meats of New Year’s Eve. It’s about survival, luck, and identity. Here are the three must-have dishes for your California table.
1. Tarehats: The Bread of Luck
If you bake nothing else, bake this. Tarehats ("Year Bread") is a flat, round sweetbread that acts as an edible oracle.
The Ritual: Before baking, hide a coin or a bean inside the dough.
The Cutting: Divide the bread into portions for every family member.
The Winner: Whoever finds the coin in their slice is the designated "Lucky One" (Bakhtavor) of 2026. They should keep the coin in their wallet for the rest of the year.
2. Khashil: The Soul of Artsakh
In light of the recent tragedies in Artsakh, making Khashil this year is an act of solidarity and memory. This dish originates from the Syunik and Artsakh regions.
What it is: A thick, hearty porridge made from Pokhindz (roasted wheat flour).
How to serve it: It’s eaten communally. You make a "well" in the center of the porridge bowl, fill it with melted butter and yogurt (tan), and dip from the edges.
Where to find ingredients: You can find roasted wheat flour (pokhindz) in most Armenian markets in Glendale, Burbank, or Fresno. If not, roast regular wheat flour in a dry pan until it smells nutty and turns beige.
3. Pasuts Tolma: The Seven Grains
Unlike the summer grape-leaf dolma, this is the "Lenten" winter version using pickled cabbage leaves.
The Symbolism: It is stuffed with seven different grains and legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans, bulgur, etc.), representing the entire harvest.
Why it works in CA: It’s vegan, healthy (perfect for those "New Year, New Me" resolutions), and tastes even better cold the next day.
A Note to Our Community
Living in the Diaspora often feels like living in two time zones. We work on American time, but our hearts often beat on Armenian time. Celebrating Hin Nor Tari is a way to sync those two worlds.
So tonight, cut the Tarehats, make a toast to the resilience of our people, and keep the doors open for good luck.
Shnorhavor Hin Nor Tari!
