Afternoon tea in England

Ben Johnson

Afternoon tea, the most typical of English customs, is perhaps a relatively new tradi⁃tion. The custom of drinking tea became popular in England during the 1660s thanks to King Charles Ⅱand his wife,and it was not until the mid⁃19th century that the concept of“afternoon tea”first appeared.

Afternoon tea was introduced by Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. At that time, lunch was taken early but the evening meal was served fashionably late at eight o'clock, leaving a long period of time between the two meals. The Duchess would become hungry in the afternoon,so she asked that tea and cake be brought to her room around four o'clock.This became a habit of hers and later she began inviting friends to join her.

This palace tea party was such a success that it soon spread to London and other places in the UK as a fashionable social event. During the 1880s, upper⁃class women would dress up for their afternoon tea, also known as“low tea”because tea was taken while seating in low,comfortable chairs or sofas.

While“low tea”was largely a game for the upper class,“high tea”was a necessary meal for working class families. During the second half of the Victorian Period, working families would return home late, tired and exhausted. As the most important meal of the day, the table would be set with meat, bread, butter, cheese and of course, a pot of good,strong tea to lift their spirits. Because it was eaten at a high, dining table, it was called“high tea”.

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Why did the Duchess of Bedford need afternoon tea?

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