文档介绍：Afternoon Tea: A very British tradition
著名作家Henry James曾经说过:“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
You might be surprised to learn that British people love tea. In fact, afternoon tea is more than just a drink – sometimes it's plete meal.
Afternoon Tea --2:00pm to 5:00pm
This is a small meal snack
Origination
The custom of taking afternoon tea is believed to have been first introduced in England in 1840 by Anna, the Seventh Duchess of Bedford. At that time lunch was taken early and dinner was not served in the evening until about 9 pm.
The Duchess apparently became hungry in the afternoon and asked for some tea, bread and butter and cake to be brought to her room. This soon became a habit and the Duchess started to invite friends round to join her.
Very quickly it became fashionable to take tea in the middle of the afternoon and the occasion became more and more elaborate with the use of elegant tea ware , lace and embroidered table linen , bone china tea services, cake stands, tea canisters and blending bowls.
By the end of the eenth century, afternoon tea developed to its current form and was observed by both the upper and middle classes:
"the table was laid ... there were the best things with a fat pink rose on the side of each cup; hearts of lettuce, thin bread and butter, and the crisp little cakes that had been baked in readiness that morning."
The upper classes typically ate luncheon at about midday and dinner at 8:00 pm or later, while the lower classes ate dinner at about 11:00 am and then a light supper at around 7:00 pm.
For both groups, afternoon tea filled a gap in the meals. The custom spread throughout the British Empire and beyond in eeding decades.
The basic etiquette (礼节)
In the Victoria Times , the male guests must wear tailcoat. And,the female guests should dress in a robe.