Proper Afternoon Tea

The ritual of afternoon tea involves far more than putting a kettle to the fire. Ladies and gentlemen would dress in fancy attire. The would assemble in a sitting room or parlor. A sterling silver or fine bone china tea set would be brought in. Little sandwiches, cakes, scones, cookies would be displayed on tiered serving plates. Sugar would be in lumps with little gold tongs that would pick up a lump. There would be slices of fresh lemon. There would be fresh cream. Everyone would choose their type of tea and it would either brew in the large tea pot or in individual cups. This would take place at precisely 3pm daily. The weather (if it were fine) would be discussed. Conversation would be about light and happy things. Politics, business, religion were never discussed. Someone in the group might play an instrument for the gathering or a reading might be performed. The pace was slow and unhurried. Although conversations would be going on all around, the room was quiet and voices were low.

I have re instituted MY version of afternoon tea over the past few days at my house. I am normally in my pajamas or sweats. I light a fire under my bright red tea kettle on the stove. I stand there urging the tea kettle to sing so I could get my tea going. I select the same kind of tea each day. Peppermint, herbal, Celestial Seasonings. I grab a porcelain heavy duty white cup and saucer. I throw the teabag in. I grab a teaspoon of sugar from the canister and throw that in while the water is heating up. Once I hear the whistle, I dump the water in trying not to slosh it on my feet which are bare. I wait 3 minutes and take the bag out. I add some half and half. I sit down and calmly and slowly sip my tea while breathing in and out. During this ritual, several times, my daughters who will not take tea with me come in to ask me questions. Finally, while my tea is half drunk, I have to run into the play room because someone has fallen, or I have to get up because a bottom, or a nose or some hands need to be wiped. It is a far cry from how it used to be done. But you know what? I wouldn't take my afternoon tea any other way. Give me sweats and bare feet to a tight corset any day!