5 o’clock tea tradition in Britain

Everybody knows that England is a tea country; they really do drink it very often. According to the surveys English drink tea approximately every hour, they make a break for a cup of tea and a sandwich when they are at work, home or even during their vacation.

Their traditions , they do not back down , even in the workplace. Such breaks are called «tea breaks». One of the Afternoon teas are called «low tea». However, the most famous in the UK is always the so-called “Fife O’clock” is a tea break at 5:00 pm. «Five-o-clock» was first used in 1840 by the Duchess of  Bedford Anna, the maid of honor of Queen Victoria. In those years the Tea Party occurred in 4 hours, so the ceremony was called the «four-o-clock».

In the 20th century tea time was moved for one hour. So there was an afternoon tea. This time is aimed not only to satisfy ones hunger, but an excellent way to spend a secular meeting in England

The British have their lunch at about 1-2 o’clock pm. Afternoon tea is called «high tea», meaning the amount of food. At this time the British families gather around the table , share news , discuss them . This is the best time to share a meal .

Shortly before bedtime , after dinner , honey agaric British drink tea . This time, they try to choose varieties of tea without caffeine.

So you can see that the tea breaks in England is quite logical and natural , they are caused by hunger arising between meals. It’s also a good excuse to relax a little and lift your mood .

VERITA ALONZO