Tea party
![Afternoon Tea Party – Mary Cassatt](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Mary_Cassatt_-_Afternoon_Tea_Party.jpg/220px-Mary_Cassatt_-_Afternoon_Tea_Party.jpg)
A tea party is a social gathering event held in the afternoon. For centuries, many societies have cherished drinking tea with companions at noon. Tea parties are considered for formal business meetings, social celebrations or just as an afternoon refreshment.[1]
Originally, in a tea party, loose leaf tea was provided in a teapot along with milk and sugar. A variety of food including sandwiches, scones, cakes, pastries and biscuits were served alongside tea in a tiered arrangement. Food served at tea parties was according to a particular season. People typically consumed light foods such as fruit during summer and spring seasons and more substantial fare in fall and winter. [1]
Formal tea parties are generally characterised by the use of prestige
.In the past, afternoon tea parties were hosted regularly; however, presently tea parties are becoming like social gathering events in high tea restaurants where tea and food is presented in a traditional manner.
History
![A Group of Artists – Jules Grün](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Gr%C3%BCn_-_A_Group_of_Artists.jpg/220px-Gr%C3%BCn_-_A_Group_of_Artists.jpg)
Formal teas
Traditionally, servants stayed outside the room until needed.[3] This was due to the rigidity of social conventions and also reflected the intimate nature of the afternoon tea. Proving the truth of 18th-century author Henry Fielding's quip that "love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea", the custom of banning servants from the drawing room during tea shows the hostess's desire to encourage free conversation among her guests. Most of the formalities of that age have disappeared, particularly since World War II, when economic changes made household servants a rarity, but afternoon tea can still provide a good opportunity for intimate conversation and a refreshing light meal.
Queen Elizabeth II's favourite
"Kettle drums"
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Tea_time2.jpg/220px-Tea_time2.jpg)
"Kettle drums" came about in 18th and 19th centuries and are informal large afternoon parties for tea. At kettle drums, guests traditionally came for short periods and left at will, mingled and conversed with little formality, and partook of tea,
Per
Etiquette
Tea party etiquette depends on the customs and accepted standards of behaviour of a given time period and place. 1900 etiquette demonstrated etiquette to be linked with conservative and rigid gender roles.[8] Manners were of utmost importance in the proper conduct of men and women in early tea parties.[8]
There are several rules of etiquette noted during the 19th and 20th centuries. Various rules of etiquette included:[9]
- Learn to be patient[9]
- Restrain your temper[9]
- Refrain from speaking in anger[9]
- Silence is more valuable than speech[9]
Children's parties
Tea parties are sometimes hosted by young children where the guests consist of stuffed animals, dolls, friends (both real and imaginary) and family members.[10]
Alice's Tea-Party
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Teaparty.svg/220px-Teaparty.svg.png)
In
Global analogs
- The German "Kaffeeklatsch", literally "coffee gossip", is an afternoon gathering – stereotypically of housewives – in which coffee or tea is drunk, cakes are eaten, and gossip is exchanged.
See also
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References
Notes
- ^ a b Norr, S. (October 2007) Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, 179(10), 66+. Quote: "Tea seeped in tradition: when one thinks of tea ceremonies, they are often assumed to be regal and stuffy events. Afternoon Tea is actually a casual pastime that is seeped in rich traditions; honored since centuries past."
- ^ "Afternoon tea recipes with the royal seal of approval". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "12. The Well-Appointed House. Post, Emily. 1922. Etiquette". www.bartleby.com. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
- ^ "Royal chef reveals the Queen's favourite meals". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ISBN 9780671722289. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
kettle drum party.
- ^ Farrow, Edward Samuel (1895). Farrow's military encyclopedia: a dictionary of military knowledge. Military-Naval Publishing Company. p. 152. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science and Arts. 4th series (621): 737. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ doi:10.17658/issn.2058-5462/issue-21/pferguson/p9.)
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(help - ^ ISSN 2562-8941.
- ^ Strategies for including children with special needs in early ... – Page 144 M. Diane Klein, Ruth E. Cook, Anne Marie Richardson-Gibbs – 2001 "Helpful. Hint. The traditional tea party and feeding a doll are two of the most engaging ways of introducing children with special needs to pretend play."
- ^ Gardner, Martin. "The Annotated Alice". Clarkson N Potter Inc, 1960, Chapter VII.
- ^ Jolliffe, Lee (2007). Tea and Tourism: Tourists, Traditions and Transformations. page 56. "Yum cha, for example, is a traditional tea party and a family gathering that takes place in a commercial catering outlet."
Further reading
- Dawn L. Campbell, The Tea Book (1995), Pelican Publishing, Louisiana. ISBN 1-56554-074-3
- Joanna Isles, A Proper Tea (1987), Johnson Editions Ltd, ISBN 0-86188-668-2
- Helen Simpson, The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea: The Art and Pleasures of Taking Tea, (1986) Angus & Robertson Publishers, North Ryde and London, ISBN 0-207-15415-5