Japanese Tea and Moon Over North Salem

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - Nearly 100 people turned out on a recent evening for the Hammond Museum’s 45th Annual Moon Viewing.

The Saturday night event began with a bento box dinner catered by Silk Garden Caterers, who also supervise the museum’s cafe. Frank and Laura Kara of Bethel, Conn. were enjoying a meal of salmon with shredded cabbage, soba noodles with vegetables and a sushi roll.

Laura Kara is a specialist in Japanese acupuncture and her husband “makes Japanese bells.” Did they meet and marry because of a mutual interest in Japan? “No, we were both interested in African dance and drums at the time.”

After dinner the visitors watched a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, performed on a raised platform in one of the galleries. Jeff Vitoulis, of Mahopac, described the ceremony as “profound. Every detail is sacred. You can watch it over and over.” There was not a sound in the room during the performance.

Finally, the group moved on to the Hammond’s lantern-lit Japanese Garden, where a concert of traditional Japanese music accompanied the sight of the full moon moving across the North Salem sky. Again, the audience was silent. The croaking of frogs could be heard in the distance.

“This event coincides with the Obon Festival in Japan, when people take off two weeks in August to pay respect to their Japanese ancestors,” explained Martin Hara, the museum’s executive design director. “It’s a Buddhist tradition, celebrated for at least 1200 years. It’s more than coincidence that Natalie Hammond started this event in August.” 

Debra Vitoulis said, “We’ve been coming for eight years and I love it. I wait for it every year.”

Jan Gordon, who provided the flower arrangements said, “I lived in Japan for three years. This event transports me back. It’s a magical night.”

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