You don’t need to travel across the globe to experience beautiful Asian holiday traditions. Under the roof of The Kitano boutique hotel on Park Avenue in New York City, guests can enjoy authentic customs guided by the hotel’s Japanese proprietors through a Traditional Tea Gathering Ceremony. Usucha, or “thin tea,” is served in delicate ceramic and pottery cups in a room furnished with tatami mats and shoji screens. The ceremony is complemented by a light meal prepared by Hakubai, The Kitano’s Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant.
To welcome the New Year, the hotel entrance and the restaurant are adorned with Kadomatsu arrangements placed on either side of the doors. Each kadomatsu features three bamboo shoots at varying heights that symbolize earth, humanity, and heaven. The bamboo is bound at the base with straw and accented with small pine or ume branches, creating a temporary shrine for spirits to be honored and thanked for their blessings in the coming year. On New Year’s Day, Hakubai serves a traditional Osechi meal at both lunch and dinner seatings—a ceremonial meal regarded as an auspicious start to a healthy year. Additionally, complimentary sake is offered in the lobby on New Year’s Day to promote health, happiness, and longevity.
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