You don't have to be English to know about "teatime" — though you might have to be to know the details of the institution. Afternoon tea goes by a few names, including "low tea" for the low chairs and tables, "little tea" or even "handed tea" for the way the cups are handed around. Confusingly, it evolved around the same time as another, entirely separate occasion during which tea was consumed with food during the afternoon: "high tea" (which was also called "great tea" or "meat tea"). People did drink tea in the afternoon before "teatime" became a ritual, but it wasn't until the Victorian era that it really crystallized as a specific event. Pause Mute Current Time 0:01 / Duration Time 0:59 Loaded: 0%Progress: 0% Share Fullscreen
Why Is 'Teatime' in the Afternoon? People did drink tea in the afternoon before "teatime" became a ritual, but it wasn't until the Victorian era that it really crystallized as a specific event.
