Origami is the art of folding paper, the word origami is a compound of two smaller Japanese words: “ori”, meaning to fold, and “kami”, meaning paper. Before the name origami, there were other variations: “orikata”, “orisue”, “orimono”, and “tatamigami”. No one knows why “origami” is the name variation we stuck with, many believe it’s because the written characters were easier to write for younger children (who are the majority group using the origami technique). Another theory is that the word “origami” was a direct translation of the German word “papierfalten”, brought into Japan with the Kindergarten Movement around 1880.

Tiny origami frog on a big origami frog / Origami.me

Japanese origami began sometime after the Buddhist monks carried paper to Japan during the 6th century. Origami was only used for ceremonial or religious purposes as paper was expensive in the early ages.

Modern origami has attracted many alike worldwide, with intricate designs and new techniques. One of these techniques is ‘wet-folding,’ the practice of dampening the paper somewhat during folding to allow the finished product to hold the shape better.

Featured Image: Pixabay