Tea Party Culture – Origin And Etiquettes To Follow

You might love going to tea parties. Sometimes you would enjoy it at a neighbor’s place, and sometimes you would host one. At a tea party at your neighbor’s place, as you look around the whole aura, beautifully decorated with artificial flowers and silk plants, smelling the aroma of tea that is about to be served, you might think of its origin. And, not just the tea’s origin, you might also wonder who started tea parties, anyway?

Tea is the second most popular drink of the world. Around the world, people might have different styles of having tea.
Americans have tea as an alternative to coffee. An American tea party usually serves a collection of different teas. The collection will include a variety of herbal teas, green teas, white teas, etc. The US tea party culture would have tea with or without milk and sugar. In Asia it is usually black tea with spices.

Since its origin, tea is associated with Britain. During the Victorian era, tea gained immense popularity. It would usually be late afternoon when most English people would hold their tea parties. Normally, black tea was served with sugar and other savory and sweet snacks.

Until today, the English continue to serve tea in such a manner. Around four o’ clock in the afternoon, people start preparing for the teatime. As for the modern restaurants and bistros, you will still be offered tea at this time of the day, along with English baked goods, miniature sandwiches and savory snacks.

The similar pattern of tea parties is observed in India and other Southeast Asian countries. The history of this can be traced back to the era during which English invaded these areas, since 1850’s till late 1940’s. The tea culture was taken as a British influence, and continues till today. Here, tea is served with hot milk, along with crunchy cookies, desserts and other savory snacks.

In general, a tea party is not meal time, but it is just a social gathering. Probably, this is why it is called “tea talk”! It is also important that you assemble some good manners while at a tea party. Whether you are a guest or you are hosting the party, manners should be the top priority on your list.

– Always sip your tea, never gulp it. Not only is this going to give your throat a hard time, but this also comes under bad manners.

– Do not just sit and drink your tea. Have a polite discussion while you sip your tea.

– Do not reach for the snacks until you are served. Use a napkin on your lap before you start eating.

– After you have added sugar and stirred the drink, place the teaspoon at one side of your saucer, never elsewhere!

– When you are offered snacks, take the ones that are nearest to you. As soon as you have taken some, pass the plate to the adjacent person.

– Always remember to sip quietly, do not ever slurp your drink!

Author Bio: Ellie Lewis finds it simpler to buy silk plants online for decorating your home. She uses artificial flowersin her office because it is cost effective and long lasting.

Category: Business
Keywords: Silk plants,artificial flowers

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