The Victorian / Edwardian Tea party in Modern Times

 

With the popularity of Edwardian era shows such as Downton Abbey and a few others , people have started to host tea parties once again.  Besides being a fan and reenactor of the Renaissance period, I love the Victorian / Edwardian period as well. (including the Steampunk Subgenre). This time period was known for its elegance and luxury among the rich. One of the special social events that this period did was the Tea party (outdoors or inside), which Tea parties are still happening in many places. The cool thing is that the Victorian/Edwardian Style of Tea parties are returning thanks to the popularity of Reenactors/Cosplayers. This is great news for Anglophiles who has purpose now to have a tea party. Every family in the period had an Elegant Tea Set that would be handed down to each generation.  The Tea Cart was a well needed piece of furniture for people wanting to host a party during the day.

The main stay of all social gatherings for the time was the Tea Party and there were many rules on how to be a good host and hostess. There were even specific rules for the Butler and Parlour maid to follow during a hosted tea party. It was a simple to a point and almost on everyday occurrence, Houses even had particular sets of clothing just to be worn for a large gathering Tea Party ( like the ones that would be hosted outdoors, which was more an Edwardian thing.) Depending on your wealth in society depended on what kind and how large your Tea Party would be. If your wealth came from the Industrial Revolution and from Business , Most likely your were not going to invite nobles such as Lords, Dukes or even the Royal Family Members. Those invitations were usually held for what was called old money. But one thing was for sure is that the rules and etiquette for these parties was the same no matter the status of the host and Hostess.

Occasionally these tea parties were for just relatives, nobody from the outside might occur in, yet tea is served just the same. Little sweet wafers or cakes or plain bread-and-butter sandwiches with tea are generally all that is given at this hour; still, there are leaders who fluctuate the things from one day to another, or at times. Hot bouillon with bread sticks or buttered rolls, hot toasted biscuits or cassava cakes, nut, cress, or whimsical, sweet sandwiches, and a dish of bonbons are among the titbits served in certain houses. The cook aids the arrangement of a portion of these articles, yet the server, no steward being utilized, is liable for the newness of the tea, and the temperature of the bouillon, tea, and hot biscuits.

For doing the neighbourliness communicated in this custom, the home of coffee tables and a "curate" or English container plate are of extraordinary comfort. These articles are extremely light and once in a while extraordinarily lovely; the tables are frequently of profoundly cleaned mahogany and decorated with a pearl. The bushel plate ("curate") comprises a mount to which three loops are secured one over another, and some distance separated; into every one of the circles is set a plate holding the articles to be served. The system is of mahogany, bamboo, or other light wood, and the entire is conveyed about the room by a handle at the top. Different accomplices to evening tea are:

    Tea cloths for the tables.

    Small fringed napkins for the guests.

    Doilies for the bread and cake trays or baskets.

    A small tray covered with a doily for the waitress.

A tray holding two or three small tea cups and saucers, teaspoons of small size, small sugar bowl with sugar and tongs, small cream pitcher of cream, and a pretty dish holding thin slices of lemon. A teapot of fresh-made tea, or a teapot of boiling water, a tea caddy with tea, spoon for the caddy, a silver tea ball or a china percolator, and a teakettle filled with fresh boiling water.

    A bouillon urn.

    Bouillon cups.

    Bouillon spoons.

Soon after three o'clock the always quick server has the tea caddy with its flickering china and silver and the container plate of edibles in availability; the tea pot is singing over the low-turned stream of the gas range and the server herself is in impeccable trim from the small cap on her conveniently brushed hair to the delicate soled shoes on her feet.

After the leader has welcomed at least one visitors, the server sets a pot of tea to blend, silently gets one of the bigger tables from the "home" and sets it in an unnoticeable spot in the drawing-room. Upon this she arranges such articles as will swarm the table of her escort. Here likewise she sets the bouillon urn, with cups and spoons, when bouillon is given. The external and handsomest table of the home she presently sets before the master, spreads a material over it, and gets the service tray to put downward on it. She presently returns for the pot of tea, which was set to blend, and her plate. After some tea is poured she passes it on her plate, with a few napkins close to the cup, to the one for whom it is ready, then gets the crate plate of edibles, and passes this and different cups of tea or bouillon as wanted.

Meanwhile she watches out and eliminates cups or recharges them with tea as is required. Or on the other hand, she passes cream and sugar or cuts of lemon, takes out the spent tea kettle, and gets a new stockpile of tea or cuts of lemon, and so on. This sounds difficult, however as a general rule, in houses where the servants are restricted in number the guests of an evening are not areas of strength for mathematically, a sister, little girl, or companion of the leader is typically present to assist.

Proper Etiquette For a Tea Party

Just like the royalty and upper class did in the original tea parties, it is important to use proper etiquette when attending a formal tea party. Here are a few tea party etiquette tips to remember: After sitting down, put your purse on your lap or behind you against the chair back. Unfold napkin and make sure to place it on your lap. If you must leave the table temporarily, place the napkin on your chair. Never blot or wipe your lipstick with a linen or cloth napkin. Lipstick stains rarely come out in the wash.

 Never, ever use your napkin as a handkerchief. Please excuse yourself from the table and go to the ladies' room. The hostess will signal the end of the tea Eva Gonzales - afternoon tea by picking up her napkin. Everyone else will then pick up their napkin by the center and loosely lay to the left of their plate.

    Sugar is placed in your teacup first, then thinly sliced lemon. If you like to have milk in your tea, add it after the tea is poured. At one time it was traditional to pour the milk into the cup before the tea. This was done to prevent the glaze on delicate teacups from cracking. We do not have that problem today, so add the milk after the tea so that you can judge how much to use based on the colour change. Never use milk and lemon together. Hold the handle of the teacup using your thumb and your first one or two fingers. There is no need to stick out your pinky; this is an exaggeration of how people sometimes tilt their pinky upwards to balance the cup. Do not loop your fingers through the teacup handle or cradle the side or bottom of the cup with your hands. A guest should look into the teacup when drinking, never over it.

When stirring your tea, be careful not to clink your spoon against the cup. Gently swish the spoon back and forth without touching the sides of the cup. When through stirring, remove the spoon and place it on the saucer behind the teacup and to the right of the handle. Of course, never take a drink of your tea without removing the spoon first, and please never, ever sip from the spoon.  Take small, quiet sips of your tea. Do not blow on the tea if it is too hot. When you are not drinking tea, place the cup on the saucer. If seated at a Hilda Fearon afternoon tea table, never pick up the saucer. If standing, you may lift the saucer with the cup.

 It is fine to eat most of the foods with your fingers, taking small bites; however, use a fork when trying to eat messy foods. Scones are a traditional part of proper tea. Split the scone with a knife. Since the knife is now used, either place it on your knife rest or lay it gently on the side of your plate. Jam or curds is usually placed on the scone and then top off with a dollop of clotted cream. Simply spoon a small amount of jam or curds onto your plate, as well as some of the clotted cream. Spread the jam, curds, and clotted cream onto your scone. Never use the serving spoon for this task. Be sure to take small bites, since attending a tea is a social occasion and you will want to participate in the conversation without always having a full mouth. Chew and swallow completely before taking a drink of tea, since it is hot and is not meant to wash the food down.

These tea Parties could last from a few hours or most of the day depending on the guest and weather, if it takes place outside.