afternoon tea not high tea

You may hear others (I know it’s not you) mistakenly call afternoon tea “high tea.”  It’s understandable because it does seem a rather highfalutin’ affair but it is incorrect to call it high tea.  Afternoon tea originated, so they say, with Lady Anna Maria Stanhope, Duchess of Bedford who was a lady in waiting for Queen Victoria.  The custom at the time was to have dinner rather late – around 8:00 or 9:00 p.m.  Lady Anna Maria, feeling light headed (maybe it was the corset), came up with the idea to have a snack.  Apparently, this was a breakthrough and it caught on.  Afternoon tea was held in the, uh, afternoon.  It is a leisurely affair with light little goodies to tide you over till the main evening meal.

There actually is such a thing as high tea but it’s a more traditional stick-to-your-ribs heavier meal.  Bread, roast, potatoes with tea served in a mug.  It’s called high tea because it’s served at the higher dining table or high on the clock depending on your source.  Afternoon tea, originally served on lower tables or lower on the clock is also called low tea.