Tea for two (or more)

There are few British traditions as beloved as afternoon tea. Teatime was unofficially born in the early 19th century as a way of warding off the hunger between lunch and dinner. As the practice grew, it also became a way to fill the empty space in the daily social schedule, and eventually evolved into a formal tradition requiring special clothes and manners.

Today, you can hold a tea party at any time or for any occasion. When you take time out to have a few friends over for a good pot of tea and some pastries, you give yourself a welcome chance to pause from the rush of daily life and enjoy the company of others.

But to many of us, the intricacies of tea manners, such as which side to serve from and when to lift your pinkie, are confusing. Keep reading, and you'll learn all you need to impress even the fussiest guests. You might even turn into a teatime lover for life.

Before you begin

Check your china collection to make sure you have enough cups and saucers for your guests. And although fancy china (such as bone china) is nice, all you really need is a cup, saucer, spoon, fork, small spreading knife, and small plate for each person.

There's no guest limit for a tea party, but smaller parties are more intimate and encourage inclusive conversation. More important, however, is that every guest have a place to sit. Tea is about sitting, chatting, and lingering.

Finally, although the practice is typically called "afternoon tea," there's no rule saying you absolutely have to have a tea party in the afternoon. If it suits you and your guests better to have tea in the morning, or later in the evening, do so. Just try to avoid rushing the experience, so that everyone will feel free to tarry as long as they want.