Mount Gongga, over 7,000-metre, Sichuan, China

Luciadagen, Santa or Sankta Lucia, Saint Lucia Day - call it what you will, the 13th of December means the countdown to Christmas is seriously underway here in Sweden. While the origins of the festival are obscure, the connection between this Italian, early Christian martyr and the Scandinavian Christmas spirit is as clear as the light from her candles. In churches, schools (even workplaces!) across Sweden, the girl chosen to portray the saint - wearing a white dress and a crown of candles - parades slowly and majestically, to the haunting sound of the traditional Sankta Lucia hymn. The day marks the traditional start to Christmas preparations, decorating and baking - and means anticipation for Christmas can begin in earnest!  

We didn’t have a Sankta Lucia procession of our own at Yocha Studio (maybe next year and with an Asian spin?!) but we’re all for the anticipation of Christmas and the holidays. Of course, part of that anticipation is planning what gifts to give friends and family – and maybe even dropping the odd hint as to what gifts you might like to see coming your way! If this sounds like you, fear not, at the end of this newsletter we have some ideas that might help. You’re welcome!

Tea Gift Box and New Notebooks

In workshop news… this month we introduced yet another aspect of Asian culture to our friends in Uppsala with an early morning Mahjong workshop. Yocha founder and avid Mahjong player, Fang Danrui, led the workshop and explained some of the intricacies and tricks of this fascinating game of skill, luck to a select group of players who got the chance to use one of the few automatic Mahjong tables in Sweden! Based on universally positive feedback we shall be repeating this event, so if you’re interested in learning ‘mah’ about Mahjong just e-mail us at info@yochastudio.se

Mahjong Workshop in YOCHA

In addition, earlier this month we ran a special Tea Tasting Workshop over two evenings. Organized in cooperation with CHAXART from Amsterdam, the event allowed participants to meet new like-minded friends, taste exclusively imported teas from China and, more importantly, to learn even more about Chinese tea. As an indication of how involved everyone became in the events they both ran way over time as animated chats about tea and tea tasting continued well into the night (- have you no homes to go to?!)

Cup Set丨Nine-Coloured Deer

Now, it wouldn't be winter in Sweden without some nice cold weather to remind you what season it is. November didn’t really play its part this year with temperatures in the mid-teens ºC for most of the month, however December is having none of that – its reminders involve plenty of ice and snow - and while the temperatures may still be in the mid-teens ºC, they are now negative!  Apart from wrapping up well, we find a great way to combat the freezing temperatures is to wrap yourself around some nice, hot food. And the ‘baozi’ main course in our Asian lunches is just the job! After all, they originate in the northeast of China where winter temperatures of -30ºC are commonplace. So why not try a hot, steamed bun filled with meat or veg and washed down with warm tea to help keep out the cold long enough for you to get back to your cosy stove!

Photo by Anna Too

As promised, before we go, if you’re wondering what to get the tea-lover or Asian design freak in your life for Christmas, maybe we can help you! Perhaps one of our exquisitely wrapped Chinese tea gift sets, or maybe a unique design piece from our range of Asian items? And as we’ve just received a new consignment of goods from Asia, we have an even wider range of just about everything, from tea-related products to clothes and kitchenware to stationery and ornaments. So, if you’re in Uppsala, why not drop into our shop, browse around and sip some tea while you have a chat with our friendly staff for personal advice on the perfect gift? Otherwise, you can check out our website www.yochastudio.com or social media channels for the latest updates. All the tea ware and original Asian design items on sale in our store are available for purchase online - and even delivered to your door!

Cat-Series Tableware

Japanese-Anime Series Stationery丨Coming soon

YOCHA Gift Card丨E- & Physical Card in store

And finally, Christmas and the New Year is a time for looking both forwards and back (well perhaps not so much of the latter this time around!) It’s fair to say that most people we meet at Yocha seem to agree that the last couple of years have been ‘challenging’ to say the least. Pandemics, wars, inflation, political upheaval – if it weren’t for climate disaster, you'd be forgiven for thinking we were living in the twentieth century! But here at Yocha we believe in the world, we believe in good people – we see them every day in our customers – and we believe in hope for the future. By trying to bring people of different cultures together we believe we can help, in our own small way, to increase that hope for a better year in 2023 and a better future for all of us. And we hope you agree!        

So, till next month and next year, all the best, keep smiling and in the immortal words of Slade, “…here it is Merry Christmas, everybody’s having fun, look to the future now, it’s only just begun…”!

Yours hopefully,

The Yocha Team.