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The Tea Of A Tea Party

Decent Essays

Tea Parties

In its simplest form, a Tea Party is defined as “a social gathering in the afternoon at which tea, cakes and other light refreshments are served.” Dating back into the 1700 's, tea etiquette and its popularity can be traced back to Charles II and his wife, Catherine of Braganza. Born of Portuguese descent, Catherine already know of and was fond of tea, as it was a preferred beverage of Portugal (Afternoon.com). Becoming known as the “tea-drinking Queen” she is regarded as the first of England 's queens to participate in this tradition. However, Tea Parties made their scene when Queen Anna began to hold “afternoon tea” while eating light refreshments in her chambers, as well as inviting her friends to attend her tea time with …show more content…

With tea party businesses and various tea gardens around the world, the culture and practice of tea parties will continue to flourish. As previously stated, tea parties didn 't come into full trendy fashion until the 18th Century. Catherine brought tea to light while Queen Anna brought it into a trend with her first “afternoon tea”. Queen Anna “started drinking tea and eating light refreshments when she became hungry in the afternoons, or the “sinking feeling” she 'd feel, since it was typical to eat only breakfast and dinner at that time in Britain” (tevana.com). “Tea was generally consumed within a lady’s closet or bedchamber and was predominately a female-only gathering. The tea itself and the delicate pieces of porcelain for brewing and drinking it were displayed in the closet, and “inventories for wealthy households during the 17th and 18th centuries list tea equipage not in kitchens or dining rooms but in these small private closets or boudoirs” (“A Social History of Tea” by Jane Pettigrew, out of print). The trend of taking of tea didn 't stop there—various countries around the world practiced taking of the tea, whether it be for ceremonial reasons, celebrations, pleasure and leisure, or traditional tea party set up. China drank tea for years before England as a ritual offering, for ceremonies, and medicine (http://www.china.org). Later, the American elite picked up the practice as well since tea was imported and thus expensive, before

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