National Hangover Day cures from around the world

Are you waking up to 2017 with a massive headache? Well, you aren’t alone. January 1st is National Hangover Day! People searching “hangover cures” is at its all-time high every January 1, and possibly how you found this article. Another shocking statistic, a Fox News study has found that people who drink will spend two years of their lives being hungover…Well, we are here to help you with that stubborn hangover.

We’ve asked 7 travel writers from around the world how people from their home countries cure a hangover. So in case the USA hangover cure doesn’t work, maybe try out what they do in Mexico or Poland. Although every country does it a little bit differently, the common themes are salt, grease, tomato juice, and of course a little hair of the dog. Here is how the rest of the world stops their heads from pounding on January 1.

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A little hair of the dog will fix “yee” right up! | Photo by GettingStamped.com

Ireland

“We all know that the majority of Irish people like to have a drink (or 12!) on occasion so it makes sense that ‘the hair of the dog’ is without a doubt the most popular hangover cure in the country. The phrase refers to alcohol that is consumed with the aim of minimizing the effects of a hangover. Yes, that means we drink more alcohol when we’re hungover! So the next time you’re in Ireland and you’re asked do you want to go for ‘the hair of the dog’ after a night of partying, you’ll know that it’s an invitation to hit the pub again!” – Carlo & Florence, NextStopWhoKnows.com  

The Bloody Caesar, the drink that tastes better than it sounds | Photo by www.ThePlanetD.com

Canada

“It’s no secret Canadians love our beer. I think it’s all that cold weather we have to endure each year. When hangover strikes, we turn to our other national drink, the Bloody Caesar. But for hangovers, we go with the Virgin Caesar. No vodka included. Although some people swear by the hair of the dog, I prefer to go with the vitamins. A Bloody Caesar is different from a Bloody Mary because we use clamato juice instead of tomato juice. What is clamato juice you ask? It’s a mix of clam juice and tomato juice. It sounds disgusting, but it’s delicious and Canadians love it. Oddly enough, it hasn’t caught on with the rest of the world.

Mix in a few drops of Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a little salt and pepper with some celery salt around the rim of the glass and you will burn the hangover away. You get everything you need to cure a hangover. Vitamins B and C in the Clamato juice, some sustenance with the celery (you can even add tomatoes and shrimp too!) the spices help calm your stomach and you are instantly hydrated. It works every time!” – Dave & Deb, ThePlanetD.com

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Grab a Gatsby sandwich to stop the pounding in your head in South Africa | Photo by HelenOnline – wiki commons

South Africa

“South Africa is, unquestionably, one of the most diverse countries of all, we have beautiful citizens of all shapes, sizes and colors within our borders and to show just how diverse we are, we are a nation of eleven official languages! As a result, we don’t just have one standard hangover cure. Here are a few that represent our various cultures.

A favorite among city clubbers is cream soda, aka the “Green Ambulance” after a heavy night out. Why this works is beyond me. More sugary stuff? It makes no sense at all, but thousands swear by it. Adding fried chicken pumps up the grease factor.

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Then there’s “Amasi” which means sour milk in Xhosa and Zulu. Amasi is just that, milk fermented to the point where it has a cottage cheese type texture and while this may have many of you reaching for the toilet bowl, it actually has some real healing properties. It re-hydrates, it’s rapidly digested and contains loads of nourishing probiotics. Who knew?!

If you’ve been fortunate enough to visit Cape Town, and haven’t enjoyed a Steak Gatsby, I’m here to burst your bubble, you haven’t really been to Cape Town. Book a ticket back immediately and give us a call. It’s basically a gigantic roll filled with greasy hot chips, steak, salad, and sauce and it’s the best thing you’ve never eaten. One roll easily feeds four humans and the pure enjoyment of it cancels your hangover.” – Vaughan McShane, thetravelmanuel.com

Large quantities of food seem to squash a hangover in the United Kingdom | Flickr photo by Chris R

United Kingdom 

“Being from England, we have quite a few cures for a hangover… the age old ‘hair of the dog’ involves drinking a very small amount of alcohol with breakfast so that you stay kind of vaguely drunk rather than hungover, it doesn’t always work. The English breakfast consisting of eggs, beans, sausages, bacon, hash browns, tomatoes, mushrooms and black pudding was of course invented purely to help hungover Brits face another day and the vast absorption power of this truly massive meal certainly helps me out when I feel truly terrible after a hard night’s partying. My favorite hangover cure is to simply get hold of a bottle of Coca-Cola and to dump a tablespoon of salt in it; this effectively creates a re-hydration drink which will banish even the most stubborn of hangovers on Boxing Day!” – Will Hatton, theBrokeBackpacker.com

If you’re really desperate to be rid of your hangover, do as the Polish do | Flickr photo by Karolina Lubryczynska

Poland

“As weird as it may sound, in Poland people tend to drink pickle juice when hungover. It’s supposed to replenish and recharge the body with salty electrolytes. It’s something you can get easily as Poles eat a lot of sauerkraut, so the leftover juice from the jars is sold at every corner store. I must warn you, it doesn’t taste very good, but I guess when you’re hungover nothing really does, so you might as well give it a go!” – Anna Lysakowska, annaeverywhere.com

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Mexicans swear by this concoction of calm juice, beer, and Tabasco| Flickr photo by esimpraim

Mexico

“One of the most famous (or should we say infamous?) cures for the hangover (aka “cruda”) in Mexico is the Michelada, a beer based cocktail (yes, cerveza!). To prepare a hangover Michelada you need a beer, lime juice, salt, clamato (tomato juice) and hot sauce. Micheladas are so popular in Mexico they even sell pre-made mix cups in stores where you just add beer. If you can’t get yourself to Mexico you can order Michelada mix cups online to give this hangover cure a try. Enjoy and get rid of that headache!” –Raphael Alexander Zoren, journeywonders.com 

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The Bloody Mary, it’s how America fixes a night full of bad decisions | Flickr photo by Edson Hong

USA

“After a big night out we head straight for the Bloody Mary’s, but in the USA they aren’t just a plain ole Bloody Mary. We have Bloody Mary bars that just specialize in them, there are Bloody Mary buffets where you make your own, bottomless Bloody Mary bars, and often a Bloody Mary isn’t just a drink it’s an entire meal. It not uncommon to have beef sticks, cheese cubes, an assortment of veggies, burger, and even chicken wings. If you find yourself in Las Vegas one of the best places for a bloody is at Buddy V’s inside the Palazzo hotel. Every Sunday from 10:30am-2:30pm they do a $16.95 unlimited bloody bar. Your hangover will be cured and the next day I try and stick to the sober things to do in Vegas.” – Hannah & Adam, GettingStamped.com

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