One aspect of changing seasons in our daily life

 

 

I had an important tea gathering to attend last month. It was called "Kuchikiri no Chaji", which literally means "to unseal the pot of tea leaves."  It is an important tea procedure throughout the year to open it up for the first time,  take the tea leaves out of it, and grind the tea leaves to enjoy in the tea gathering.

 

Inside a pot, new leaves picked in early summer this year have been packed almost a half year for the best flavor. It was the first day to unseal this pot in our tea class.

 

We wore kimono to celebrate this occasion.
My teacher told us that this procedure was like celebrating the coming of the new year in the world of Japanese tea gatherings. I put on kimono that day with a sash full of embroidery depicting autumn harvest of fruits. I enjoyed our traditional kimono culture to appreciate the changes of the season, too. 

This gorgeous sash was from my late mother-in-law whose  mother had prepared for her marriage in 1930s. This is so precious and valuable in quality, too  I’m responsible for handing it over to my daughter.