Have you ever heard of "Hatsugama"? Hatsugama refers to the first tea ceremony practice or tea gathering of the new year. It gets its name from the fact that the fire is lit in the kettle. This event is a special time to celebrate the new year with teachers and friends and to rediscover the spirit of tea ceremony.
The tea room is lined with gorgeous tools and decorations unique to the New Year, making the entire tea ceremony feel like a New Year's festival. Even those who are not familiar with the tea ceremony can enjoy the seasonal atmosphere.
I didn't know! Hatsugama tools and their meanings
The tools used in the Hatsugama ceremony often have auspicious designs appropriate for the New Year. • Pine, bamboo, and plum tea bowl: Pine symbolizes longevity, bamboo symbolizes growth, and plum symbolizes vitality to endure harsh winters. • Crane and turtle natsume (jujube): Auspicious patterns that celebrate longevity, with the crane representing a thousand years and the turtle representing ten thousand years.
For example, sipping tea while admiring a tea bowl with a pine, bamboo, and plum design may deepen the joy of the New Year. Each of these tools has its own meaning and wish, and knowing this can make the tea ceremony even more enjoyable.
Hatsugama Sweets: Special in Taste and Design
During the Hatsugama ceremony, special seasonal sweets are served, each one containing a wish for the new year.
Representative sweets: Hanabiramochi (flower petal mochi) A sweet made of white miso paste and sweetly simmered burdock wrapped in gyuhi. It originated from an imperial court event in the Heian period and is said to mean "enveloping the happiness of the New Year." • Tokiwa Manju: A sweet potato bun filled with green bean paste, inspired by snow-covered pine trees. Both the appearance and taste are elegant, and you'll want to take a photo!
The enjoyment of these sweets is doubled by learning about their background and meanings, rather than just eating them.
Hatsugama Trivia: It's Actually Fun
• The arrangement of tea utensils also has meaning! The hanging scrolls and flowers in tea rooms are designed to reflect the seasons, and auspicious words such as "longevity" and "early spring" are often chosen for the New Year. The most common flowers are pine, plum, and camellia. It's fun to look for them.
• A chance to experience a once-in-a-lifetime encounter: The first tea ceremony is a special time where you can experience the important spirit of "ichigo ichie," which states that "a tea ceremony held in the same tea room, with the same people, and with the same utensils will never happen again." It's wonderful to enjoy this kind of spiritual luxury at the start of the new year.
Ideas for incorporating Hatsugama into your daily life
Even if you think that Hatsugama is a bit too difficult, there are ways to easily enjoy it in your daily life! • Simply making tea at home using your favorite matcha bowl is enough. • It is also recommended to decorate with seasonal flowers and hanging scrolls to create a space that is appropriate for the New Year.
It's wonderful to try these kinds of ideas to enjoy your own "mini-hatsugama" ceremony.
Learn more about Hatsugama and enjoy it!
Even if you are unfamiliar with the tea ceremony, you can enjoy the Hatsugama ceremony as a cultural event that marks the beginning of the new year. Learning about the meanings behind the tea utensils and sweets will make the tea ceremony even more fascinating.
Why not try experiencing the joy of Hatsugama this New Year?
