We all know the story: boy meets girl... girl rejects boy... boy persists...
girl gives up... they fall in love and decide to get married. Now, here's the
twist: it's all thanks to tea.
Tea has played a significant role in much of human history, but it is a little
known fact that it has also been an important tool in many weddings. Throughout
the centuries, tea has been both a gift to the couples and a symbol of their
unity throughout many cultures. In this issue of TeaMuse, we'll explore just a
few examples of the way tea helps couples say, "I do!"
Probably the most significant wedding tea that was given was as a gift to the
country of Great Britain in 1660, when Charles II first brought it into the
country. Previously, the mischievous Oliver Cromwell had sparked a revolution
that forced most of the aristocracy to either leave the country or perish.
Therefore, when Charles married Portuguese Princess Catherine, they were living
in exile in Denmark.
At that time in Denmark, tea was already enjoying widespread popularity. Both
Charles and Catherine were huge fans. Later, when Cromwell misplaced his head,
the couple was able to return to England. They brought a chest of tea with them
which was met with thirsty enthusiasm by the British court. This gift provoked
the craze for tea in Great Britain (in which the English are still fully
embroiled). Charles II is often referred to as the "Merry Monarch," which one
can conclude must be due to his passion for tea.
The next tea wedding focuses not on a historical event, rather a tradition.
Traditional Chinese Weddings always employ tea as a crucial part of the
ceremony. On the wedding day, the bride serves tea to her parents in their home.
As a sign of respect and to thank her parents for raising her, she pours and
serves the tea first to her father then mother.
After the festivities, the newlyweds serve tea to the groom's whole family,
inviting the groom's family to drink and addressing them by formal title ("first
uncle", "third aunt", et cetera). The women are instructed to sit on the left
side and the men on the right. They newlyweds prepare tea with lotus seeds and
two dates in each cup. The reason for this is that "lotus" and "year" sound
alike in Chinese, as do "seed" and "child." Chinese tradition holds that adding
these items to the tea helps to encourage fertility.
Tea Wedding Favor
They first serve the groom's parents: the bride knees in front of her
father-in-law, the groom kneels in front of his mother. Then they proceed from
oldest to the youngest: his paternal grandparents, then his maternal
grandparents, then his oldest uncles and aunts, and all the way to his older
brother.
Once they're finished, the newlyweds receive lucky red envelopes, or "lai see,"
stuffed with money or jewelry. These envelopes are placed on the platter that
holds the teacups (or you can simply mail them to Adagio Teas, attn: Chris
Cason). When the tea service has concluded, the ceremony is officially over and
the couple is free to begin their life together.
At Adagio, we're always looking for new ways to spread the love of tea.
Brainstorming one day, we came up with the idea of combining the two most
important factors in this mantra: love and tea. Thus, we have created a new tea
item specifically for lovers:
tea wedding favors. These specially-packaged tins
include the same great teas Adagio has always offered, and can be customized to
add a unique touch to your special day. Get a closer look by visiting the
following page:
Wishing all lovers a happy, healthy life together!
