At the end of 2020, we came up with the idea of creating a commemorative tin to mark that difficult and strange year, the first year of the global pandemic. This year, we've revamped this special gift, creating the Lucky Tea Bag.
We're basing this on a Japanese tradition called Fukubukuro, which means "lucky bag." These bags are bought and given as gifts at the beginning of the year, and their contents are a complete surprise. The tradition began in late Meiji (1912) at the famous Matsuya department store, with the idea of putting unknown items in the bag, guaranteeing a surprise with the assurance that what you paid for it would be less than the sum of its contents.
We combined this tradition with the custom of making 12 wishes for the year (one for each month), our love of tea, and a beautiful idea of the "wow" effect: "life is better when you're grateful." The result was a bag with 12 items (including teas) and the practice of writing down the things you're grateful for throughout the year.
This year, the design of the card accompanying the bag features the famous Japanese lucky cat, "Manike Neko," or in English, the "welcoming cat" (this amulet is believed to attract prosperity, happiness, success, or money). The origin of the Manike Neko dates back to the 12th century. Legend has it that the Gotokuji temple in Tokyo was very poor and in very poor condition, and the elderly monk who cared for it shared his food with his cat, Tama.
One day, a feudal lord hunting near the temple took shelter from a storm under a large tree. It was then that he saw a white cat spotted with black and brown, beckoning him to the temple gate by raising and waving one of her paws. Intrigued by this gesture, he decided to approach for a closer look. He had barely stepped away from the tree when lightning struck and burned it to the ground. Grateful to the cat for saving his life, Li Naokata (the feudal lord) donated rice paddies and farmland to the temple, in addition to funding its repairs. When the cat died, the Manike Neko figure, now so popular worldwide, was created in her honor.
Give this bag full of surprises as a gift, or treat yourself. Enjoy its contents and write down what you're grateful for on a slip of paper to keep inside the bag. The idea is to read it on New Year's Eve. You'll see then that no matter how bad the year seems, we always have wonderful things to be thankful for!
PS I post things as "simple" as watching a sunrise, tasting a delicious tea, seeing a friend, a hug, playing with my pet, talking to someone I love, among others.
Lucky Tea Bag
Olivia Medina
Tea Master, EURO TE
