It's Tea-time!

 In the 19^th century, teatime was considered as a proper meal.

It was a ritual that had been often associated with wealthy families. It was commonly used as an excuse for wealthy people to get together and show off their expensive lifestyles, children were especially dressed for these occasions and they were asked to stand by the side while the ‘elder’ members of the families had their big tea.

Literary novels written for children have reiterated the importance of teatime! The famous children’s novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll has included an interesting chapter on tea-time called The Madhatters’s Tea party; it is interesting to note that there is more emphasis on the etiquettes and manners then the tea itself! Perhaps this is a reflection the 19^th century’s obsession with behaving like the upper class. 

The March Hare mentions how 'It wasn't very civil of [Alice] to sit down'. The emphasis on the word 'civil' highlights that it was very important to follow rules of etiquettes. 

The inclusion of food in tea parties was also added, it combined sandwiches and cakes with Tea, and it meant that tea parties became more and more common! Tea became a centrepiece of these big parties and soon Tea itself became a form of a meal! This was known as (high tea)

In The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, just before tea-time, Bilbo hears the bell ring,  ‘he rushed and put on the kettle, and put another cup and saucer and an extra cake or two’ to accommodate his guests with a good meal. The idea of adding a ‘cake or two’ reinforces the idea of being wealthy as you can afford to provide your guests witch a luxurious meal but it also highlights that there were etiquettes involved with serving tea, you had rules to follow and present tea with something to eat!

                                           You can book your own tea time in London!

                                                   http://www.afternoontea.co.uk

Sources: Alice’s adventures in wonderland by Lewis Carroll and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien