5-o'clock tea

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."

Henry James

In the afternoon the students participated in the British Tea Ceremony. They were also given some typical British phrases to use while drinking tea.

Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o'clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o'clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.

Traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of dainty sandwiches, scones served with clotted cream and preserves. Cakes and pastries are also served. Nowadays afternoon tea is likely to be just a biscuit or small cake and a mug of tea, usually produced using a teabag.