{"id":58415,"title":"Behind the Tee: The Story behind the Kenats \u2013 Cheers to Life T-Shirt","description":"The story behind our Kenats: Cheers to Life T-shirts, inspired by Armenian toasting traditions, a wedding speech and the simple joy of raising a glass together.","content":"

\"b1m854alprzfktxkt32h6nrej83x78ckqyps4n86sclecrqj.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"It means cheers, but it doesn't really feel like just saying cheers.<\/p>

Cheers \/ \u053f\u0565\u0576\u0561\u0581 (Kenats)<\/strong> literally translates to \u201cto life\u201d<\/strong>, and if you've ever sat around an Armenian table, you'll know there's usually a lot more to it than simply clinking glasses and getting back to your food.<\/p>

For me, the idea behind this T-shirt actually starts with my wedding.<\/p>

\"d4wagub4xvaatu25pve5mml1ycfdafzrmeboxkbyo0n1spsk.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"One Very Important Kenats<\/h2>

During my wedding speech, I wanted to bring a little bit of my Armenian heritage into the room and share it with all our friends and family, Armenian or not.<\/p>

So, near the beginning of the speech, I gave everyone a little Armenian lesson.<\/p>

I told them:<\/p>

\u201cIn Armenian, cheers is Kenats, so at the end of my very long speech I would be honoured if you would join me in cheersing in Armenian.\u201d<\/em><\/p>

Then came the small matter of actually getting through the speech.<\/p>

About 20 minutes later, after I'd subjected everyone to enough of me talking, it was finally time. Whether anyone still remembered how to pronounce it by that point is another question. \ud83d\ude02<\/p>

But they did.<\/p>

We raised our glasses and everyone joined me for one big Cheers \/ \u053f\u0565\u0576\u0561\u0581 (Kenats)<\/strong>.<\/p>

And that moment has stuck with me.<\/p>

It was something small, but it meant a lot to bring an Armenian tradition into our wedding and share it with people who might never have said \u053f\u0565\u0576\u0561\u0581 (Kenats)<\/strong> before.<\/p>

More Than Cheers<\/h2>

Growing up, Kenats was just part of Armenian gatherings.<\/p>

And there was never just one.<\/p>

Put enough Armenians around a table and you're getting at least three Kenats before the night is over.<\/p>

When you're young, you don't necessarily appreciate it.<\/p>

You're sitting there with the adults, you want to eat, you want to go and play, and suddenly someone has stood up and started another toast.<\/p>

Here we go again.<\/em><\/p>

But getting older has completely changed how I see it.<\/p>

At a typical gathering, an elder might stand to speak, whether that's a father, uncle or someone else around the table. Everyone stops. You listen. You make eye contact. You raise your glass to whatever or whoever they're speaking about.<\/p>

Parents. Family. The hosts. Children. Peace. Those no longer with us. The reason everyone is sitting around that table in the first place.<\/p>

At a British table, \u201ccheers\u201d might be a quick toast to good health or good fortune.<\/p>

At an Armenian table, it can sometimes feel like there's very little left that hasn't been toasted by the end of the night.<\/p>

And I think that's beautiful.<\/p>

It's a moment to stop, reflect, remember people and appreciate who's sitting around the table with you.<\/p>

Then, after a few Kenats, there's a pretty good chance someone's going to start singing.<\/p>

Cheers to Life<\/h2>

The phrase Cheers to Life<\/strong> came naturally from the word itself.<\/p>

Cheers \/ \u053f\u0565\u0576\u0561\u0581 (Kenats)<\/strong> comes from the Armenian word for Life \/ \u053f\u0575\u0561\u0576\u0584 (Kyank)<\/strong>.<\/p>

So rather than simply putting \u201cCheers\u201d underneath the artwork, I wanted to bring it back to what the word represents.<\/p>

Cheers to Life.<\/strong><\/p>

Because Kenats isn't really about the drink in your hand.<\/p>

It's about what you're raising it to.<\/p>

\"b599uwfloguayarbs1qs5lzxy7gyoagq9le22lwf7b3g2rju.jpg.jpg?w=1140&project=hye-streetwear-396784&v=2\"<\/p>

The Clink<\/h2>

Visually, I kept coming back to one really simple moment.<\/p>

Two bottles meeting.<\/p>

There's something about the sound of bottles clinking together that's instantly recognisable. That little clink<\/em> between friends or family means something is being celebrated, acknowledged or remembered.<\/p>

So that became the centre of the artwork.<\/p>

Two bottles. One toast.<\/p>

Cheers \/ \u053f\u0565\u0576\u0561\u0581 (Kenats).<\/strong><\/p>

\"iaeb7jbn0125h4a1ri8xzbnqxpgzpd2isrbdq9rordzps1jj.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"<\/p>

Going Mono<\/h2>

Then came the Mono Black version.<\/p>

I loved what happened when the artwork was stripped right back.<\/p>

It reminded me of art classes and learning lino carving. Those rough lines, little imperfections and textures that come from physically cutting an image rather than trying to make everything perfectly smooth.<\/p>

I wanted to recreate some of that feeling digitally.<\/p>

I started with a photograph and gradually drew around it, building up lino-style lines and textures until the image felt right.<\/p>

It's deliberately rough. It's not supposed to be perfect.<\/p>

Then I brought in the Hye Society logo and Cheers to Life<\/strong> typography to finish it.<\/p>

The result is two versions of the same idea: the original Kenats: Cheers to Life<\/strong> and the stripped-back Kenats: Cheers to Life \u2013 Mono Black<\/strong>.<\/p>

Different treatments, same toast.<\/p>

Cheers to Life \/ \u053f\u0565\u0576\u0561\u0581 (Kenats). \ud83c\udf7b\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddf2<\/strong><\/p>","urlTitle":"behind-the-tee-kenats-cheers-to-life","url":"\/blog\/behind-the-tee-kenats-cheers-to-life\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/behind-the-tee-kenats-cheers-to-life\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/hyesociety.co.uk\/blog\/behind-the-tee-kenats-cheers-to-life\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1790192921,"updatedAt":1791840691,"publishedAt":1791840691,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":387530,"name":"Hye Society"},"tags":[{"id":4217,"code":"behind-the-tee","name":"BehindTheTee","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/behind-the-tee\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/edfvvvs2ztdpwnfrmby5au0918x7uyhymr25mt4xhxzfvvrt.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/edfvvvs2ztdpwnfrmby5au0918x7uyhymr25mt4xhxzfvvrt.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/edfvvvs2ztdpwnfrmby5au0918x7uyhymr25mt4xhxzfvvrt.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"Behind the Tee: Kenats \u2013 Cheers to Life","metaDescription":"Discover our Kenats: Cheers to Life T-shirt, inspired by Armenian toasting traditions, family gatherings, a wedding speech and the meaning of Kenats.","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":51664,"title":"Behind the Tee: The Story Behind the Pomegranate T-Shirt","url":"\/blog\/behind-the-tee-the-pomegranate-t-shirt\/","urlTitle":"behind-the-tee-the-pomegranate-t-shirt","division":387530,"description":"\ud83c\udf77 The Story Behind the Pomegranate T-ShirtIt\u2019s hard to walk through a market in Armenia and not see a pomegranate. Whether it\u2019s jewellery, art, textiles or souvenirs \u2014 it\u2019s everywhere. And for good reason","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/1uhkuznvqm0jd1zd2yiuvuipizz62kli8zycwlp8zbsfdqdi.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/1uhkuznvqm0jd1zd2yiuvuipizz62kli8zycwlp8zbsfdqdi.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":52977,"title":"Behind the Tee: The Story Behind the Let\u2019s All Be Kind & Are You Okay? Tees","url":"\/blog\/behind-the-tee\/","urlTitle":"behind-the-tee","division":387530,"description":"A look behind the designs created with my nephews, Charles and Arthur. What started as a fun family project became two heart-warming t-shirts \u2014 \u201cLet\u2019s All Be Kind\u201d and \u201cAre You Okay?\u201d \u2014 reminding us all to be kind, check in on one another, and spread a little joy.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/sdaxbbmw8mlghe4eboma5bb9kf5hh1ihiy09wwkqr0yczsqx.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/sdaxbbmw8mlghe4eboma5bb9kf5hh1ihiy09wwkqr0yczsqx.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":53855,"title":"Behind the Tee: The Story behind the Peace & Love tees","url":"\/blog\/behind-the-tee-the-story-behind-the-peace-love-tees\/","urlTitle":"behind-the-tee-the-story-behind-the-peace-love-tees","division":387530,"description":"A simple message told through two small gestures. Some messages don\u2019t need sound. Peace and love are two of them. The idea for this collection started quietly, long before it ever became a tee","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5leianjwuycqrptsig3h8khvmypubqnipokivniajkkqjwbr.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/5leianjwuycqrptsig3h8khvmypubqnipokivniajkkqjwbr.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}