Tea, in a new beautiful wrap
Tea is one of the most popular drinks globally in different parts of the world which is consumed in various forms. The importance of this drink can be assessed by the fact that every year 15th December is celebrated as the international ' Tea day '. It being light and full of oxidants, though taken by many in the morning, evening, and night yet one comes across the phrase ' Tea time ' set in the after noon especially in most of the English novels of the Victorian and later periods, wherein all the members of the family assemble together for tea and refreshment. Friends and guests invited also join them.
The British love the tea so much that they have specifically marked afternoon time as ' tea time '. Legend has it that afternoon tea was created by Anna Maria Russell, the Duchess of Bedford who was a life-long companion of queen Victoria. Since the dinner was served later at night, lunch meal was not enough to sustain long hours till dinner. The long afternoon with no refreshment at all left people feeling hungry. The Duchess is believed to experience a ' sinking ' feeling around 4 PM every afternoon. so she asked her maid to bring her tea and a slice of bread and butter to tide over the period between lunch and dinner. She found a light meal of tea and cakes or sandwiches to be such a perfect refreshment that she soon began inviting her friends to join her. Afternoon tea quickly became established as a ceremony in many upper middle class and upper class households. This became a popular social event and the English afternoon tea was born. Nothing is more appropriate here than a quote from Henry James, one of the greatest novelists in English Literature, who says, " Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."
Even now in many parts of the world, tea party is famous with tea and other snacks given in the late afternoon.
Tea has always been found to be a stimulator and a source of inspiration for serious minded scholars.
In the words of the famous English essayist Thomas De Quincey, " Tea, though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities, will always be the favourite beverage of the intellectual.
To conclude, tea typifies the characteristics of life. Life is sometimes hot, cold, sweet , bitter like tea.
