Dear Oliver,
I have found a fantastic Halloween Tea Party theme to try this year.
“Halloween was perfectly suited to the Victorian age (1837 to 1901), a time when
supernatural beliefs and practices of occultism became hugely popular, including séances, mediums, tarot card readings, ghost sightings, psychics and fortune-telling (especially regarding love and marriage). Also, Victorian ‘death culture’ was intense, to say the least — with strict mourning rules, elaborate funerals, post-mortem portraits and opulent new cemeteries,” destinationtea authors proclaim.
That said, hosting a Victorian Halloween Tea featuring Oliver Pluff tea such as
Cinnamon Orange and Witches Brew Cider Spices Wassail is definitely a spectacular, spooktacular idea for a festive holiday celebration.
Mentalfloss notes that the Victorians were “preoccupied with Halloween tea time, a social gathering with tea and snacks that could also be the setting for assessing their dating future.
The women would use a teacup and suspend an empty spoon on the edge. Using a second spoon, they’d drip tea into the first spoon until it fell into the cup. Each drop corresponded with a year they’d have to wait before marriage.” These parties also featured cakes baked with items inside such as thimbles or wedding rings. Because romance was the main theme behind these mildly spooky events, the emphasis was on finding true love and socializing. Whoever received the piece with the ring was set to be lucky in love and those with the thimble would be forever single with plenty of time for sewing.
And, interestingly, “Victorians weren't big on the creep factor. Instead, Halloween was a time to amp up their already irreverent behavior,” states mentalfloss. What a perfect premise for a party - fun, romance, costumes, and party tricks – plus tea and cake! Plan your Victorian Halloween Tea Party today.
(Photos: Google & The Graphics Fairy)
