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General
炉開き
畳 are refaced, new paper on the sliding doors in preparation of the
口切り茶事 and opening of
炉 called 開炉(かいろ)or 炉開き(ろ びらき).
The date is not fixed, but
利休 says 炉開き should be when the ゆず turns yellow. Ideally, it's when it's slightly cold, so it's more touching.
Because of the change to
炉, a whole bunch of different
道具 are used, which refreshes the mood.
At 炉開き, there should be always something
織部 (even if it's just 織部饅頭 as sweets).
点前
壺飾り, of course!
I also like to practise
点前 that are specifically tea related to highlight the fact that we're originally opening a new batch of tea here: 茶通箱 and
和巾.
道具 and 御銘
Traditionally, 三べ are used at 炉開き:
織部, ふくべ and
備前 (which used to be called いんべ).
HY23 used a 老松 茶器, which I paired with せき松葉 as a 御銘.
小雪(しょう せつ) (little snow)
冬の朝(ふゆ の あさ)(cold winter morning)
小春 (when the weather is spring-like)
木枯し — I love this name, and there's also a sweet by this name.
懐石
Chestnuts are a big topic, as 八寸, for example, or as sweets, of course.
主菓子
Often you serve
善哉 soup here, which is quite easy to make: It's sweet adzuki soup with grilled 餅!
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織部饅頭(おりべ まんじゅう)
亥の子餅 (little boars), originally made from seven flours (soy, azuki, sesame, chestnut, persimmon, sugar cane and cowpeas)
千 suggest: Konoma no nishiki (autumn brocade) sweets. The last leaves of autumn form a brilliant brocade on the mountains. For these sweets, white-bean paste is wrapped in rice dough and sprinkled with ground poppy seeds, calling to mind the frost on the late-autumn trees.
干菓子
-
吹寄せ(ふきよせ), and arrangement of sugary leaves and kernels, usually served on a winnowing tray.
花
Mittwer proposes Job's tears, shrubby althea, aster, agrimony, and butterfly bush