The morning after
JOHN CLARE PHOTO
The Poles wake up to what they say is a howling of kittens. The French greet the morning with a wooden mouth and a hair ache, while the Danes get carpenters in the forehead.
English speakers the world over call that mix of mortar-blast headache, queasiness, Sahara thirst, uncertain recollections of the previous evening – I didn’t, did I? – and a brooding sense of of guilt as simply a hangover.
Just as there are many descriptions for hangovers, there are as many so-called cures.
According to American writer Joan Acocella, Africans suffering from too much hilarity eat peanut butter, Germans eat pickled herring, the Japanese eat pickled plums, Russians go for pickled brine (perhaps to put them off drinking forever), Moroccans do penance by chewing cumin seeds and if you beg for help in Vietnam they’ll give you a nice helping of wax-gourd juice.
Share Start 2021 with books that ll inspire your year with well intentions. By Kate Dwyer January 01, 2021 Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Welcome to
SHAPE s monthly book club, where we round up this month s must-reads across wellness, nutrition, fitness, and mindfulness.
Ancient Babylonians supposedly invented New Year s Resolutions, which means people have been making them for the past 4,000 years. Sure, you could sign up for a new workout plan or take on a reading challenge, but you could also commit to some real soul-searching that might be harder to quantify. For some, the pandemic has offered time and space for dealing with insecurities, embracing flaws, and finding new ways to stay connected to loved ones and many o