Hey guys! I don't know if this has ever happened to any of you but recently I've fallen into the weird end of youtube and have been binge watching all kinds of Sumo matches. It's actually a pretty fascinating sport. I don't know how long this interest will actually last but if truth be told I think what fascinates me most is the ritual around the whole thing. The opening ceremony, the drinking of the water of power, the wipping of the skin for purification with the paper of power, the squatting on the balls of the feet to symbolize power, the chirichozu clap that demonstrates that the combatants have no weapons and are ready to fight fairly, the tossing of the salt to purify the arena, the stamping ritual, the faceoff, the toyotana (hand chopping for the victor) before receiving the prize.
Maybe part of the reason I like cigar smoking is the small yet important rituals that go along with my smoke. The feeling of the cigar, the smell of the head and foot, the cutting or punching of the cigar and the lighting of it with cedar spills. The respect paid towards the cigar by not budding it out and allowing it to burn out on its own when done smoking it.