Afternoon Tea For Two - Or One Hundred...

Afternoon tea parties are making a comeback

Afternoon tea parties are making a comeback. Maybe they never went out of style among tea connoisseurs, tea grannies, teetotalers and the millions of individuals worldwide who love and drink tea. "Tea time" etiquette originated from English royalty who were the very first on the Atlantic to hold social gatherings which were focused around serving tea.

Tea traditions first started in Britain in the 17th century. Tea trade that started in the 1670s as trade routes to the Orient was established by the English. Afternoon tea, initiated by the aristocracy, rapidly caught on among the working class.

In North America, there is much uncertainty about the dissimilarity between "high" tea and "afternoon" tea. They are not the same, although several hotels in Canada and the U.S. refer to afternoon tea as "high tea." High tea in England is even known as: "meat" tea and could be like dinner. Afternoon tea is served around 4 o'clock and was formerly known as "low" tea as it was served on low tables, often in drawing or living rooms.

Today attending or having an afternoon tea could be a social or business affair. The biggest rule of etiquette, however, is common courtesy. That is, making your guests feel comfortable and being a graceful, gracious guest.

The rules around holding your cup and saucer are as follows: If you're seated at a table, raise only your cup and keep the saucer on the table, returning the cup to the saucer in between sips. If you're seated without a table - or if you're more than 12 inches from the table, hold the saucer in your lap with your left hand and hold the cup with your right hand. Between sips, return the cup to the saucer, which remains on your lap. (It is acceptable to put milk and sugar in your cup before or after the tea is poured.)

Savories (small sandwiches), scones and pastries are served at a full afternoon tea. But do not expect to replace lunch or dinner by attending a tea. Anything served is in dainty, small quantities - including the tea. (This was originally because when tea first became trendy it was really expensive and hence served in small amounts.)

There are three tiers to the traditional serving dish which holds the goodies. The bottom tier holds the savories, the second tier holds the scones and the top tier holds the pastries. (The sweets go on top to show them off.) Note, also, that the correct way to eat a scone is to break off one bite-size section at a time and butter it sparingly on the plate provided.

by: Margaret Page.

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