No matter the class and lifestyle of a Victorian, when 5:00 p.m. came around everyone was participating in their own version of tea time. Hard labourers and aristocrats alike would come together with their friends and family for this mid-afternoon snack. Such a vast crowd participated in tea time that there are different variations for different classes.
For the working class tea was served between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and was called high tea. This was essentially supper. There was no time for a break in the afternoon for the men at work and children at school, so they all ate together when they were done. The food at high tea included meats, vegetables, and most importantly tea. Men would get first chances at the food, so in some cases depending on the amount of money coming into the house, the women and children might only have that tea for their meal. The name itself comes from the height of the table, as the table used would’ve been the dining room table and thus higher than your average table.
The aristocrats on the other hand used tea time as a relaxed social event. The wealthy ate luncheon at 1:00 p.m. and dinner at 7:00 p.m., so they would often start to get hungry around 5:00 p.m. This snack was called low tea because the tables used in the drawing room where tea was served were lower coffee tables. Low tea was a ladies event where they’d gather in their white dresses (picture) to gossip about others in their circles and discuss the latest fashions, in the comfortable proximity of their homes. There was only one item that guests had to bring other than juicy stories, which was the tea leaves. In that time, tea was very expensive so everyone was expected to take their own, and only the extremely wealthy would supply tea for others. Now in accordance with Victorian ways, tea wasn’t transported in a tin or paper bag, but rather a special carrying case called a tea caddy, which can be seen in the picture. This box was used to formally transport tea leaves under lock and key to and from the home.
The tradition of afternoon tea started in 1830, and in Canada we may not identify this custom by the same name, but we still continue to practice it. The Victorians had some interesting customs and high or low, tea time was one of them. If you would like to experience this come down to Museum Day on Friday, August 7. Tea will be served from 4:00-5:00 p.m., and don’t worry; you won’t have to bring your own tea caddy!
