subject: Following Etiquette When You Are Organizing A Party [print this page] Afternoon tea parties are making a returnAfternoon tea parties are making a return. Maybe they never went out of style amongst tea connoisseurs, tea grannies, teetotalers and the millions of people worldwide who love and drink tea. Tea time etiquette originated from English royalty who were the very first on the Atlantic to hold communal gatherings which were concentrated 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 upper classes, rapidly caught on amongst the working class.
In North America, there is a lot of confusion about the distinction 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 also known as: meat tea and can be like dinner. Afternoon tea is served around four oclock and was formerly known as low tea as it was served on low tables, normally in drawing or living rooms.
Today attending or having an afternoon tea can be a social or business affair. The greatest rule of etiquette, of course, 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 are seated at a table, lift only your cup and keep the saucer on the table, returning the cup to the saucer in between sips. If you are seated without a table - or if you are 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, that remains on your lap. (Its acceptable to put milk and sugar in your cup before or after the tea is poured.)
Savories (tiny 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 that is served in these tea parties is served in small quantities. (This was initially 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.
