[MMM]

Another case where a little information can be a dangerous thing.

The Japanese tea ceremony is a tradition which has been practiced for centuries. It's beauty is in its precise structure, (when you are concentrating on tea, you don't think about war).

It is studied and practiced by high school students and in local clubs all over the country.

It isn't something necessarily done at "special occasions" as the ceremony itself is a special occasion.

But normal, just having tea with friends, is not a formal event, and the tea can be drank however you like. Usually the host pours for the guests, but that isn't a law.