In Westernized Culture- especially here in the United States- I have come to notice it's all too common for the fancier, "upper class" style Tea Parties to be regularly be called a "High Tea" ... This, however, is a misnomer; the elegant Teas during which one is expected to dress in finery and utilize proper etiquette is not actually a High Tea at all.
The confusion between a High Tea and a Low Tea comes from the associations of the words "High" and "Low" themselves. "High" is associated with a certain refined class and elegance belonging to the upper echelon and elite of society; terms such as High Class, High Quality, and more seem to reflect this even in modern vernacular ... "Low" on the other hand is the opposite- that which belongs to poverty or the working peoples and is often considered unrefined and lesser; low class and low in quality.
It would make sense that one should jump to the conclusion that a High Tea would be an elegant occasion and a Low Tea would be a more casual event. Even in modern language and association, this makes sense- and yet this is truly far from the case when it actually comes to the topic of Tea.
⚶ Low Teas ⚶
Originally started by royalty, Tea would be taken in a private personal chamber just off the bedroom, during the early morning hours. Depending on who was hosting the Tea and when, however, this could be before Breakfast, or between Breakfast and Lunch. Eventually, though, the time would be adjusted into early afternoon, with Tea being served some time between 2 and 4 pm.
Alongside this change in time, a location shit occurred a bit later as well. As a result, such entertaining began to take place in a Parlor or Sitting Room (and occasionally even the Garden), as opposed to the bed areas they were originally held in. It was at this point, too, that food was also introduced to the setting, with the Tea being served alongside lighter pastries, finger sandwiches, scones, and cakes.
Thus, the Low Tea was born.
⚶ High Teas ⚶
Like with many things, the High Tea began as a tradition of the Lower Class attempting to imitate their Upper Class counterparts. But with long working hours, a lack of leisure time, and lower funds, what resulted was far from the concept of the Low Teas they were trying to imitate. And when the Upper Class decided to co-opt the practice and formalize it among themselves (as the Elite often do with the traditions of the poor), the High Tea was made a common staple of Hunting and similar gatherings as a means to refresh their energy in the late afternoon hours.
Regardless of who was holding it, in both cases it wasn't uncommon for the High Tea to be held between 5 and 7 pm. As such it was often served at the family's dining table, or in another such setting intended for formal eating. The much later time of the event also meant that the menu consisted of different food items than its counterpart- including heartier, richer, but simpler made food of the time, such as meat pies and pastries.
⚶ Keeping Them Straight
As you can see, "High" and "Low" more correctly refer to certain distinguishing factors of the event, rather than to who is actually hosting it or how fancy it is. These important distinguishing factors predominantly include (1) The time of day during which the event is held; (2) Which part of the house it is held in; and (3) The types of foods that one serves alongside the Tea as a result; indeed, this is why the two are most often referred to as a Meat Tea and Cream Tea for High and Low respectively.
While it's not necessarily imperative that one follows the terminology properly, given that the meaning has flip-flopped itself a bit in the modern era- especially "across the pond" here in America? It would still be quite a wise thing to keep it in mind- especially if one wishes to be historically accurate for any reason, or is participating in anything which seeks to be historically informed.
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