Tea Cozy
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Whenever a child pours "tea" into a cup for her favorite bear and asks, "Would you like sugar?" she is following the path of Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), perhaps the most revered figure in the history of the Japanese tea ceremony.
Sen came up with the concept of ichi-go ichi-e, which translates as "one time, one meeting," a belief that each occasion (such as a tea ceremony) must be treasured, for it can never be duplicated.
Anyone who's attended a child's tea party knows it's full of such singularity. Will there be a sampling of plastic fruits or a piece of real shoo-fly pie? Will the guests have hair, fur, or Bride of Chucky doll heads? What will be sipped? What will be capsized?
However it unfolds, a tea party provides the ready-made structure for a child's imagination. Whether it's a proper afternoon ceremony with royalty or a mad party with an ornery hare, it will join a long line of ichi-go ichi-e.
Plus: Find tea sets for all ages
