Hakone Estate & Gardens Hina Matsuri Japanese Tea Ceremony

21000 Big Basin Way,Saratoga CA 95070

05 March, 2023

Description

What's Hinamatsuri? March 3 is Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival or Girl's Festival), when people pray for the happiness and healthy growth of girls. Families with young daughters mark this day by setting up a display of dolls inside the house. They offer rice crackers and other food to the dolls. The dolls wear costumes of the imperial court during the Heian period (794-1192) and are placed on a tiered platform covered with red felt. The size of the dolls and numbers of steps vary but usually the displays are five or seven layers. Single tiered decorations with one male and one female doll are also common. The Japanese tea ceremony is known as chado or sado, which translates to “The Way of Tea.” The purpose of this practice extends far beyond just the consumption of caffeine and is deeply tied to Japanese values. The Japanese tea ceremony embodies the ideals of tranquility, respect, purity, and reverence; and guests who take part in the ceremony will come away from the experience feeling refreshed and at peace.