A “Hair Of The Dog” New Year’s Day Party

This morning I shared a book from my decor library that offers us a peek into some pretty amazing parties held in private homes in New York. I must have parties on the brain since I’ve even been dreaming about them. Are you attending any New Year’s parties this year? Will you be hosting one? I’m kind of glad I didn’t plan one this year since I’ve come down with a nasty bug or something after all my traveling over the holidays.

New Year's Tablescape with Acorn Soup Tureens

Click On Picture To View Tablescape

 

Last night I had the weirdest dream. I dreamt I was having a party or maybe helping to host one. The house I was in didn’t look very familiar. Anyway, guests were going to be arriving soon and I was rushing around trying to get the house ready. But there was one problem, I couldn’t breathe! In the dream I felt like I was literally suffocating as I was running around trying to get things ready for the party. I woke up feeling the same way, unable to breathe very well because my throat was so swollen inside.

Isn’t it weird how dreams sometimes mimic that which is happening in real life. As soon as this post goes up, I’m heading off to the doctor for a strep test. I almost hope that’s what it is since that’s pretty fixable with an antibiotic. I don’t have any cold symptoms, just a super sore, swollen throat. I think I’ll be gargling with salty, hot water today. Yum!

Hope I’m all better by this Thursday because I’ve been invited to a “Hair of the Dog” party. Have you ever heard of such? I had not and had to Google to see what it was all about. Apparently, a “Hair of the Dog Party” is usually a party that’s held on New Year’s Day where food/beverages are served that will hopefully help those who may have done a little too much partying the night before.

The expression, “Hair of the Dog” comes from an old superstition dating back to the days of the Romans. They believed if someone had the misfortune to be bit by a dog, the wound would heal more quickly if a clump of the dog’s hair was placed on the bite.  Yuck. Sounds like a good way to get an infection to me.

Per Wikipedia, the earliest known reference to this phrase being associated with a cure for drinking too much is found in a text from ancient Ugarit dating all the way back to the mid to late second millennium. Apparently, the god,ʾIlu, was hung-over after too much drinking and a salve consisting of the hairs of a dog and some plants mixed with olive oil was applied to his head to help his hangover.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Hair of the Dog?” Ever been to a “Hair of the Dog” party? I love learning about these old expressions and superstitions, even if I don’t necessarily believe they work.

Okay, I’m off to the doctor. Stay well out there!

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Comments

  1. I hope there will be a follow-up, telling us what curative food/drinks were served. Wishing you a healthy New Year, especially for party day!

  2. Never been to a Hair of the Dog party…but we have family football watching parties on New Years…with lots of good food and drink! Hope you get a miracle drug from your doctor, and feel better! 😉

  3. Regality (aka The Quing) says

    You get well extremely soon! You hear me?! That’s an order.

    Interesting tidbit re hair of the dog. Icky Poo.

  4. Roberta Holbrook says

    My grandaughter, the mother of two, went through the same thing with her throat and it was tonsillitis and they don’t give antibiotics for it. It just needs to run its course.

  5. I have never heard of a “hair of the dog” party but you must give us the details if you go. I hope you are feeling much better by then. Have an Amaretto Sour for me when you toast the new year!!!

  6. Feel better Susan!…and thank you for all of your wonderful posts throughout the year!

  7. I am so sorry you have a sore throat. Hopefully the Dr. will give you something to alleviate your symptoms. I hate to have a sore throat or sinus problems. It seems as though it takes days or weeks for the symptoms to go away! 🙁

    I had not heard of a “Hair of the Dog” party. It sounds interesting. If you go to the party please share the details of the party with us. And have a fun time!

    Happy New Year 2015! I have enjoyed your blog so much this year! 🙂

  8. Hope you feel better soon. Yes, I have heard of the “Hair of the Dog”. I didn’t know they had parties by that name though. Sounds like fun. Enjoy.
    I hope you have a very Blessed and Happy New Year too.

  9. I hope you feel better soon, Susan! My daughter is sick, little Colleen has walking pneumonia and just foubnd out my son also has walking pneumonia! Good grief!!!! I never heard of this party but have heard the expression and THOUGHT it meant you were supposed to have a DRINK of whatever you had too much of the day before???? I am going to 2 NYE parties then hosting 20 here on NY day!!!!!!!!!!!! Am I crazy….I think I may be!!!! Happy New Year my friend. XO, Pinky

  10. I’ve heard the term as a cure for drinking too much but didn’t know the history. Thanks for the details. Maybe you need some hair of the dog applied to your throat. Sorry. Yuk! I hope you feel better soon so you don’t miss the party! Happy New Year!

  11. Hi, Susan,
    Sorry to hear you are not feeling well. These holidays can really knock us down because we are so busy, stressing all along the way; and, traveling can be the hardest on our immune system. Please take care and try to slow down a bit. We all look forward to your posts, but missing a few because you are resting would be totally understandable. Ring the New Year in quietly…….and feel better.
    Rosie

  12. I hope you are feeling better soon! Never heard of a “Hair of the Dog” party, but it sounds like fun. We are just staying in for New Year’s, I always cook a special dinner and we eat by candle light.
    I wish everyone a Happy & Healthy New Year!

  13. Hope you feel better soon! There seems to be lots of “crud” going around.

    I have heard of this party, and in fact, I attended one back when I lived in Colorado. I think Bloody Marys and a lot of meaty cocktail foods were on the agenda.

  14. Happy New Year ! I hope you are feeling well real soon. Airplanes always gets one sick. You needed to take Airborne- makes a difference.

  15. Susan,
    I hope the Dr was able to give you something and that you are feeling a bit better now. Strep throat is very painful!
    I’ve never heard of that term, even in a party reference. Hope you get to go.
    Weather here has turned much colder and now they predict icy conditions for New Year’s Eve and Day. Glad we don’t have any party plans. I’m fine curled up by a cozy fire reading a good book or some of my favorite blogs.
    Get Well Soon and Happy New Year! ~ Sarah

  16. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    Awww, Susan, sorry to hear you’re under the weather. It’s a bit late for you now, but I’ll share this with you for the next time you get a sore throat. The minute I feel the tiniest bit of soreness in my throat, I gargle with a 50-50 mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide. It’s amazing how much it helps! Actually, it even helps if the soreness is a little further along. But yours sounds very bad, so I hope the doctor can fix you up quick. If I’m worried about a serious sore throat coming on (because of the weather, flu season, exposure to someone sick, etc.) I gargle with that mix 3 times a day and it’s very effective. I ran it by my pulmnologist many years ago and he gave me the okay on it.

    I have heard of the ‘hair of the dog’ curatives, but not parties, lol. Sounds like fun, even if you haven’t over imbibed (or maybe, especially if you haven’t, lol.)

    I ordered that book you recommended earlier. 🙂

    By the way, I have often thought how much fun it would be to go back through the blog from the beginning. I’d love to see your very first post, for instance .. and see how the blog developed over the years. I’ve only been here for a couple, myself, so I have a lot of catching up to do. Is there a way to view it like that? I know there’s the search feature, but is there a way to view it in chronological order? Don’t worry about answering until you’re well. I hope you won’t have to miss your party, but it sounds like you’re pretty sick. I have also found drinking ginger tea to be incredibly effective in helping with inflammation, so you might try boiling, then simmering some slices of fresh ginger root and then making a tea from it. I found a recipe I like a lot by making it with oolong tea leaves and then adding some honey and some cream. It’s yummy AND helpful. Great for a winter’s day. Feel better, old pal.

    • Thanks, Pam. The doctor’s office mentioned that, too…gargling with peroxide. I need to buy some tomorrow. They also recommended Advil. That I had and it did help the swelling. Fortunately, I don’t have strep.
      About reading the previous year’s posts: Near the end of the sidebar of the blog, there’s a little link that says “Archives.” It will let you click on each month and then once you open any post, at the very bottom of the post you’ll see the words “next post” and “previous post.”

      Or, you can go to this post https://betweennapsontheporch.net/friends-are-the-pillars-of-your-porch/ which is the first post I ever created…and at the bottom of that post beneath the ads, you’ll see the words “next post.” Just click on that and it will take you to the next one. Then just keep clicking on “next post” at the end of each post. I deleted a whole bunch of post when my blog was moved from blogger to wordpress because the developer was having so much trouble moving them all over. She wasn’t sure she could get them to all transfer so I deleted posts that weren’t that helpful/important. She still lost 21 posts that I had to manually copy over. The move was a nightmare!

      Thanks for the tips about the tea! I’ve been drinking cold stuff today hoping that would help with the swelling but it didn’t seem to help very much at all. The Advil did help. I think I’ll take some more Advil before I go to bed tonight. I don’t want to have another “can’t breathe/suffocating” nightmare tonight like last night.

      • pam ~ crumpety cottage says

        Thanks for explaining all that.

        As for the throat, I think it would still help you, even though yours is pretty far advanced. And the tea is warming and delicious. I can really relate to you about the not being able to breathe thing, as I have asthma. It’s awful not to be able to get your breath! The ginger tea has been like a miracle. I have been able to cut way back on my inhaler use (which I formerly used every 3-4 hours) so I hope you’ll be able to try it. If you don’t have any oolong in the house you can use a different tea. It would be good to use one with some curative properties if you have one. There’s even a tea called, Throat Coat that you might want to keep around the house during the winter. I know a young man who uses it regularly and loves it.

        Okay, don’t worry about talking to us these next few days. Make a bundle of yourself and be cozy and read or something equally fun and relaxing. Feel better. 🙂

  17. Hi Susan, I am out in sympathy with you, do not have the sore throat, but all the other symptoms of flu’. You did the right thing going to the doctor today, hope you received something to help you.
    Funnily enough, this is the first New Year in a long time, that we did not plan to attend anything either, just a New Year’s day at a neighbour’s home. Obviously that is cancelled.
    Get well and rest, rest, rest, take vitamin C and as much water as you can.
    I tell you what, we can raise a glass of water to each other on New Year’s Eve!!
    Hair of the dog, yes heard of it but only as a cure for a hangover.

  18. This is the reason I read this blog. It keeps me up to date on the latest everything. I always wondered where the term “Hair of the dog” came from. Thanks Susan and I hope you are well soon. Happy New Year from Theresa in New Melle MO

  19. Good that you are “taking care of that throat” right away and “nip it in the bud!” I have heard “hair of the dog”…didn’t know the history and never heard of a party…I’ve been to some parties that were real “dogs” however… 🙂 We will go to neighbors for dinner and drinking (I don’t drink much…I SHOULD apply that to eating as well!) HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER FAST!! franki

  20. Susan!!!

    I hate to hear this, Susan! I am saying a prayer that you are better soon. xo

    I haven’t heard of a “hair of the dog ” party, but I have heard the expression over the years in people saying that one should have a “hair of the dog that bit you” after over imbibing. I always thought it meant to have a drink in the morning of what made you ill the night before. I can’t drink white wine or cheap champagne or even sparkling grape juice for that matter as they all give me a headache, and I can’t imagine having a glass after one bit me! LOL

    That is interesting about the origin of the expression.

    I hope you had a nice Christmas! I hope to be back to join you for tablescape Thursday, but I am having computer issues (again) so if not this week, then next! 😉

    Feel better!

    xo

    Sheila

  21. Hope you get well soon. Love the photo. Beautiful table.

  22. Dear Susan, Take good care of yourself and get well soon. Happy New Year!

  23. Nope, never heard of that expression before – sounds yucky just hearing it. I am sure it will be a fun party. Great idea to have a party on New Year’s Day. We used to do that at my Aunt’s house.

  24. Hope you feel better Susan…I have heard that expression, but never knew of how it originated….I wish you a most happy and healthy New Year Susan!!!

  25. I have never known the origin of the term “hair of the dog” and I totally agree that it is creepy! Hope you are feeling better and let us know about the hotg party, Happy New Year!

  26. Susan,

    I am worried about you. I went back and read through the replies on this post and saw that it wasn’t strep. PTL.

    Still, I am concerned. I am leaving this here (I think it goes straight to your inbox) because I came online this morning for a bit and was going to hook up to Tab. Thurs. Now, I might have missed a memo that you weren’t doing it today, but somehow I don’t think I did. Which is the reason for my concern. I just hope and pray that you are okay! I know several people who have been battling junk (my BFF, her daughter, and SIL, my special 92 year old friend, my cousin’s wife, etc.), and I pray that you get to feeling better soon. Josh (my 92 year old friend) told me that over half the people at Christmas church services were sick, and Episcopalians love the common chalice. That is where the Presbyterian in my Presbypalian comes forth! I like my itty-bitty disposable cup. 😉

    Okay, if you get a chance to let us all know you’re okay, please do. In the mean time, I am praying that you get to feeling better. I just hope that you slept late or better yet, that you are at your “Hair of the Dog” party!

    Love and get well wishes coming your way…

    Happy New Year!

    xoxox

    Sheila

    • Sorry to worry you, Sheila. I got my days mixed up. I thought today was Wednesday and tomorrow was Thursday. I was thinking all along that I would be posting a table for tomorrow, then it hit me about an hour ago that today is Thursday….so I’m running behind. All this travel and holidays has me mixed up, I guess.
      I’m much better now. The doctor told me to take Advil for the swelling and Benadryl at night. I’ve done that the last two days and that has worked great. It made the swelling go down so I could sleep. It felt like it was going into my chest for a bit there, but now that’s all better, too. This had been the strangest thing because it was never in my head like a cold at all…just went straight for the throat. Sorry if I worried you. You are a dear and I love you for worrying! XO

  27. Cynthia Raines says

    So sorry you are not feeling well Susan. I was sick on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and so it doesn’t feel like we had Christmas at all. When I feel a sore throat coming on, I usually gargle at least 3 times a day with warm salt water and if it still comes on then I go to Listerine. It works wonders. Get lots of rest and push the fluids. Hope you recover quickly. God bless and Happy New Year.

  28. Beautiful table setting! I have not heard this expression before… thanks for sharing, so I will know in the future.
    The chargers in the picture are gorgeous. Could you please share where you got them or what collection they are from?
    Hope your throat is better by now 🙂

    • Thanks, Corina! I found those online at Horchow back in 2008. Search online for pierced chargers or reticulated chargers and hopefully you’ll find some similar. I haven’t seen them again on Horchow…they need to bring them back!

  29. Yes! 1983 was my first “Hair of the Dog” party on New Year’s Day. The invite asked that everyone “Put on the dog”–dress up/or years later wear your best sweats. Leave the pups at home/or Bring the pups (kids). For a fun gift exchange Bring a that “dog” gift you got for Christmas to exchange with someone else’s stupid/unwanted gift. Use your imagination for food and drinks. We always had a great time going to a super relaxed and comfy feeling event, naps were encouraged, although it wasn’t always about recuperating! Cheers!

  30. PS I would have loved to have seen the invite that you received for that party years ago–

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