Klingon tea ceremony
The Klingon Tea Ceremony is a test of courage.
It is marked by the Klingon phrase, " Heghly'Di' mobbe'luchugh QaQqu' Hegh wani' " - "Death is an experience best shared."
The ceremony is best known as a test of bravery, of one's ability to look into the face of both mortality and death. It also serves as a reminder that death is an experience best shared, like the tea.
During the ritual, two friends share poisoned tea in order to test their bravery (while the tea is poison to Humans, it is only mildly toxic to Klingons).
This ceremony pays tribute to warriors who have battled side-by-side, as well as to the dignity and honor of death in battle.
Poetry is recited, with the topics typically ranging from tales of battle to the romanticization of death.
To perform this ritual, a tray is set up with two plainly-decorated, delicate cups, alongside a stone-constructed teapot.
A thorn-covered branch (plant unknown) is coiled around all three, typically with a single flower blossom somewhere near the middle of the branch.
The thorny branch represents battle and pain, while the flower blossom represents life.
During the ceremony, one warrior strips several thorns from the branch and puts them in the hot water in the teapot.
The other warrior then places petals from the blossom in each cup, before pouring the tea directly onto the petals in each cup.
- It is generally considered polite to pour a friend's cup before filling your own, but there is no insult taken if the tea is poured to the pourer's cup first.
For a Human to participate in the ceremony, an antidote must be taken beforehand.
