Tea ceremony
Encyclopedia
A tea ceremony is a ritual
ised form of making tea
. The term generally refers to either chayi Chinese tea ceremony, chado Japanese tea ceremony
, tarye Korean tea ceremony
. The Japanese tea ceremony is more well known, and was influenced by the Chinese tea ceremony during ancient and medieval times. One can also refer to the whole set of rituals, tools, gestures
, etc. used in such ceremonies as tea culture
. All of these tea ceremonies and rituals contain "artificiality, abstractness, symbolism and formalism" to one degree or another.
These rituals can be found worldwide, although are centred on Asia and Europe, including the Victorian-era 'high tea' or afternoon tea ritual, where the ritual of being seen to have the right equipment, manners, and social circle, was just as important as the drink itself.
At a very basic level, tea ceremonies are a formalized way of making a hot drink, in a process which has been refined to yield the best taste. The Royal Society of Chemistry's Dr. Andrew Stapley has written about the chemistry behind brewing tea, and some traditional ceremonies using leaf tea appear to closely mimic his suggested method, including the idea of synchronizing ones' actions with the temperature of the water.
Tea Ceremony Styles:
, art, culture, and ceremony. Tea lore can be compared to and has some of the same qualities as music, art, or literature. Tea is also an intricate part of Calligraphy
, Floral Arts, Incense
Arts, and Scroll Arrangement. These are five Classical Chinese Arts. In another sense it is the facts and traditions of tea and tea ceremony, and the accumulation over time through experience. Lore, all the facts and traditions about a particular subject that have been accumulated over time through education or experience. Tea lore
can also be described as to include not only the acquired knowledge or traditional beliefs, but the myths that also revolve around the subject of tea.
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
ised form of making tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
. The term generally refers to either chayi Chinese tea ceremony, chado Japanese tea ceremony
Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
, tarye Korean tea ceremony
Korean tea ceremony
The Korean tea ceremony or darye is a traditional form of tea ceremony practiced in Korea. Darye literally refers to "etiquette for tea" or "day tea rite" and has been kept among Korean people for a few thousand years...
. The Japanese tea ceremony is more well known, and was influenced by the Chinese tea ceremony during ancient and medieval times. One can also refer to the whole set of rituals, tools, gestures
Mudra
A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
, etc. used in such ceremonies as tea culture
Tea culture
Tea culture is defined by the way tea is made and consumed, by the way the people interact with tea, and by the aesthetics surrounding tea drinking, it includes aspects of: tea production, tea brewing, tea arts and ceremony, society, history, health, ethics, education, and communication and media...
. All of these tea ceremonies and rituals contain "artificiality, abstractness, symbolism and formalism" to one degree or another.
These rituals can be found worldwide, although are centred on Asia and Europe, including the Victorian-era 'high tea' or afternoon tea ritual, where the ritual of being seen to have the right equipment, manners, and social circle, was just as important as the drink itself.
At a very basic level, tea ceremonies are a formalized way of making a hot drink, in a process which has been refined to yield the best taste. The Royal Society of Chemistry's Dr. Andrew Stapley has written about the chemistry behind brewing tea, and some traditional ceremonies using leaf tea appear to closely mimic his suggested method, including the idea of synchronizing ones' actions with the temperature of the water.
Tea ceremony styles
While it is impossible to put tea culture in such defined boxed terms, below are the major associated terms.Tea Ceremony Styles:
- Chinese Tea Arts (中國茶藝)
- Japanese Tea Ceremony (日本の茶道)
- Korean Tea Ritual (한국어 다례)
- British Tea Culture (tea party)
Teaism
When tea is more than a drink and the tea ceremony is understood and practiced to foster harmony in humanity, promote harmony with nature, discipline the mind, quiet the heart, and attain the purity of enlightenment, the art of tea becomes teaism. The term "chadao" has two words, the word is tea and the second is Chinese loanword tao/dao/道, native suffix -ism(also Japanese: 主義), the term can be written as teaism. And it can be used to describe tea ceremony as the interests in tea culture and studies and pursued over time with self-cultivation. Teaism is mostly a simplistic mode of aesthetics, but there are subtle insights into ethics, and even metaphysics. Teaism is related to teamind. A sense of focus and concentration while under the influence of great tasting tea. Teaist is a person who performs or enjoys the art of tea and teaism. In Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultures, they all have well developed teaism.Tea lore
Tea lore includes historyHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, art, culture, and ceremony. Tea lore can be compared to and has some of the same qualities as music, art, or literature. Tea is also an intricate part of Calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
, Floral Arts, Incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
Arts, and Scroll Arrangement. These are five Classical Chinese Arts. In another sense it is the facts and traditions of tea and tea ceremony, and the accumulation over time through experience. Lore, all the facts and traditions about a particular subject that have been accumulated over time through education or experience. Tea lore
Lore
Lore may refer to:* Loré , a city and subdistrict in Lautém District* Lore , the region on each side of a birds face between eye and bill* Lore , a fictional android* Lore Sjöberg, an internet humourist...
can also be described as to include not only the acquired knowledge or traditional beliefs, but the myths that also revolve around the subject of tea.
Terminology of dao/do with respect to tea
- The term Chinese:chadao or Japanese:chado in English is a difficult translation task.
- In most common use and easy to express translation is "tea ceremony".
- A direct translation is "the way of tea" or "the way of tea".
- Another term is "teaism", yet some only signify this with Japanese tea.
- Similar terms are "tea arts" and "tea culture" and Teaism.
- While the word lore is usually not used in this context, another term used is "tea lore".
See also
- Classic of Tea, the first monograph on tea influential to the tea ceremony
- Tea CultureTea cultureTea culture is defined by the way tea is made and consumed, by the way the people interact with tea, and by the aesthetics surrounding tea drinking, it includes aspects of: tea production, tea brewing, tea arts and ceremony, society, history, health, ethics, education, and communication and media...
- Coffee ceremonyCoffee ceremonyA coffee ceremony is a ritualised form of making and drinking coffee. The coffee ceremony is one of the most recognizable parts of Arab, Eritrean and Ethiopian culture. Coffee is offered when visiting friends, during festivities, or as a daily staple of life...