Holidays take the lead like no other time of the year to cherish the traditions. Whether it's Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or another holiday, there are great traditions that are celebrated inside our own families as well as globally. Despite, eggnog enjoying the center stage in this season, tea has gained a significant place in holiday traditions. That wasn't always the case, though.
Enjoy the Warm Tea in the Winter Holidays
Whenever winter draws in its cold embrace, there's something comforting about the tradition of drinking tea. As a warming beverage, tea becomes apparent throughout the winter months.
In the winter, sipping a cup of tea might seem like a warm hug from yourself. In addition, tea's abundance of nutrients aids in mental, physical, and spiritual purification. Sipping tea regularly can help you stay healthy in numerous ways, especially during the winter months when your body is more vulnerable to illness!
Popular Holiday Tea Traditions
There are so many fascinating traditions throughout the holidays, and one might be shocked to learn how much tea is used in many of them!
Wassail
The beloved holiday song "Here We Come A-Wassailing" is undoubtedly familiar to you, but do you genuinely understand what wassail is? Wassail, once a traditional German spiced wine or Meade sweetened with honey, has developed into a wonderful cider made primarily with black tea and apples, oranges, and a variety of spices. Wassail emerged as a tasty and simple way to abstain from alcohol over the holidays as the temperance movement spread throughout the world, particularly in England. Carolers brought their gift of music to each home they visited, a widely observed tradition that is now a part of modern holiday customs. Apple spiced tea is an incredible alternative to this traditional beverage to be enjoyed on holidays.
Lunar New Year
Due to its long and significant cultural influence throughout Southeast Asia, tea plays an important role in many Lunar New Year customs. Tea ceremonies vary from nation to nation, but they are typically shared with family and friends. Younger family members serve their older relatives a sweet tea blend and wish them a happy new year as part of a custom that starts early on the first morning of the Lunar New Year in China. Caramel apple tea can be the best beverage to enjoy on a Lunar New Year holiday tradition. Other traditions, all centered around respect and thankfulness, are observed during different phases of the Lunar New Year celebration.
Flaming Tea Ceremony
The Flaming Tea Ceremony is a tradition that is mostly practiced in Russia and other Eastern European nations. It incorporates brandy, fire, and sugar cubes. A cup of tea, usually a classic black tea, is the first step in this Hanukkah tradition. Subsequently, each participant receives a sugar cube, which they subsequently dip into the brandy as it is passed from person to person in a container. A flame is passed around the room and the sugar cubes are placed on teaspoons held over each cup of tea. The lights are turned down. People light their sugar cubes, sing, and drop their blazing cubes into their cups of tea as the room fills with light!
Afternoon Tea
Many working-class men in the 1830s looked forward to Christmas Day as a unique opportunity to enjoy in drink without having to report back to the office the following day. But this was also the early years of the temperance movement, whose proponents wanted to make Christmas a family-friendly celebration. As a result, the cherished tea parties came into being. Tea parties were first introduced by the Duchess of Bedford, who welcomed people to her room for tea and refreshments in the afternoon. Over time, they developed into an efficient way to get whole families together for the holidays without a desire for alcohol. Most of these parties, which were frequently held on Christmas Evening, were held in large halls or lavishly decorated hotels with dried fruit and pine boughs. Christmas tea parties are still a tradition today, though popular holiday flavors like peppermint and cinnamon are now added to the mix.
Christmas Cookies and Tea
Christmas cookies are the most amazing mouth-watering treats ever. We often remember the time we put into preparing Christmas cookies, whether it's a recipe from your great-grandmother or something we found on Pinterest.
One of the greatest things in life is to sip a cup of hot tea and bite on a freshly baked Christmas cookie, especially with loved ones around. Gingerbread tea and White Christmas Tea are paired well with cookies, and if you're up late wrapping presents but don't want to pull an all-nighter, decaf Vanilla Comoro is a perfect smooth choice to pair with a pair of cookies. Of course, your favorite tea is always the best choice for ultimate enjoyment.
Traditional English Tea Party
After the Christmas feast, British families get together again at around 6 p.m. for more festivities and fellowship. In Britain, Darjeeling or Yunnan tea, which are lighter black teas, are usually served for evening teas. These are known to be substituted by iced ones during exceptionally warm weather. These lavish tea parties have also come to include snacks and delights like sausage rolls, mince pies, and platters of sweets.
Traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony
A festival saluting the honorees is held during the traditional Chinese tea ceremony. In China, tea is traditionally brewed in ceramic teapots. The unique clay used to make these historic teapots is never exposed to metal and is never even cleaned.
The teapot has been in use for years, and the annual production of tea oil contributes to the tea's continued improvement in flavor. When this traditional tea is ready, the server presents it to the honoree, who is usually an elderly person or someone of distinction. It's also fascinating to watch how tea is presented. With both hands, the waiter presents the tea to the honoree while bowing in front of them. Additionally, the honoree will take the teacup in both hands and set it in the little wooden tea holder. The receiver must say a few phrases after taking a sip of the tea. Following this stage, the honoree presents the server with a red envelope containing cash or a gift.
How to Start a Tea Tradition?
Drinking tea is much more than adding boiling water to the bag purchased. When performed in the right setting, the ritual of drinking tea can open doors to inner peace and allow you to develop new levels of intention, introspection, and awareness. A tea ritual is, at its most basic, a ceremonial and ritualized approach to making and enjoying tea. In actuality, tea ceremonies are widespread in China, Korea, and Japan. A "tea culture" or traditional tea-drinking values may also be found outside of Asia, as Millennials in the US and the UK are creating a thriving tea culture of their own.
Encouraging the customers to establish tea rituals is essential for the tea industry. If you haven't already, you might just want to establish a tea habit for yourself.
Commence with the cup when establishing a tea ritual. Select your favorite tea brewing set or mug, ideally one that holds meaning for you. Following that, select your tea. Store it in a particular container or place that honors your tea routine as a spiritual moment while also being aesthetically pleasing. To guarantee the best flavor, it's also important that you know how to brew the tea blend you've selected. Finally, allocate some time and design your area.
Bottom Line
Tea is one of the most social beverages in the world and is frequently enjoyed in both formal and casual gatherings. This journey, from the cozy warmth of winter teas to the global tapestry of tea-infused celebrations, has been a sensory exploration of happiness, reflection, and fellowship.
The soothing sound of teacups clinking becomes a common melody to moments spent together as we drink our way through cherished traditions and create new ones. Shop tukteacompany.com online and discover our large selection of loose-leaf teas!
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Nothing contained in this blog should be construed as such advice or diagnosis. The information and links to sources should not be interpreted as a substitute for physician consultation, evaluation, or treatment. We urge and advise you to seek the advice of a physician before beginning any medical regimen. This blog is for the use of healthy adult individuals.
This blog is not intended for the use by minors, pregnant women, or individuals with any type of health condition. Such individuals are specifically warned to seek professional medical advice prior to initiating any form of weight loss or regimen related to the information provided.
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