The custom of drinking tea actually started in China, where it has been enjoyed for thousands of years. Despite this, tea is a tradition that is much more often associated with the UK despite the fact that it is relatively new to the country.
The tradition of tea is something that has grown and developed since tea was first brought to Britain and became popular in the 17th Century. In the years that followed, tea grew into a much bigger part of British culture and afternoon tea became a popular activity with people.
Because tradition at the time meant that an evening meal was served at around 8pm at night, people started to feel hungry in the afternoon, and at around 4pm afternoon tea would be served. As well as the obligatory cup of tea, this also included small sandwiches and of course cakes, including scones with jam and clotted cream.
This became more than just a meal, but something that was popular in high society at the time, and in the upper classes the afternoon tea became an important social event for women, who would dress up and attend afternoon tea parties.
Since lifestyles have changed, in the modern world afternoon tea is not something that most people have on a daily basis, and it is certainly not a social event as it was in the past. However, the traditional afternoon tea is still popular and enjoyed – you can have it sent to your home from a company like www.afternoonteabox.com that provides afternoon tea boxes or you can head out to a country house hotel to enjoy it.
