Why do they drink tea in England at five o’clock?
I was always interested in learning about this tradition, and what I found out was very interesting for me.
The spread of a new drink — tea — on the territory of England began in the XVII century.It is believed that she introduced the tradition of drinking tea at five o’clock Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford.
In the XVIII century, lunch in England began to be served all later and later.And by the beginning of the XIX the dinner time was at 7–8 pm.Lunch, introduced between breakfast and lunch, was a light snack, so people were hungry during the day.I would also like to eat if I had lunch so late.
In 1840, the Duchess began to become a popular tradition of tea (Five o’clock Tea) in the middle of the day, which served light snacks. She began to invite guests, and gradually this tradition spread among the elite, and then ordinary English people. I think that this tradition began to bring people together.
For traditional English tea drinking, certain conditions are observed: special table setting, a large selection of tea varieties and tea etiquette. The room in which tea is drunk should be spacious so that you can freely move around and communicate.
A small tea table is covered with a white tablecloth, and it should look solemn, for which the edges of the tablecloth should hang as low as possible. Suitable cloths are chosen for the tablecloth, which are in harmony with it according to the color or texture of the fabric. In the center of the table for decoration, you can put a vase with fresh flowers, preferably also a light color.I presented a cozy place after reading this. I wanted to get there and take part in English tea drinking.SO the famous “five-hour tea” in the UK is more than a century old tradition that is respected by all the English from the Queen to the junior clerk of the provincial office.
It seems to me that this is a very pleasant tradition, which brings together not only people, but the entire nationality.