Last week our staff enjoyed an afternoon of creativity and mince pies by having a workshop on the art of origami with Mirko, our Japanese teacher. The staff made lovely origami Christmas trees through a step by step guide by Mirko.
Origami was introduced in the sixth century by Japan. Initially, handmade paper was a luxury item only available to a few, meaning paper folding in ancient Japan was strictly for ceremonial purposes, often religious in nature. By the Edo period (1603–1868), paper folding in Japan had become recreational as well as ceremonial. It came to be regarded as a new form of art that was enabled by the advent of paper both mass-produced and more affordable.
Mirko also left us with a guide on how to make an origami Santa! We are having a little competition on who can make the best Santa. Send us pictures of your submissions and we will announce the winner next week!