
Then the saucer would be held on your left hand and the cup held on the right. The only time it would be proper to pick up the saucer is if you’re more than a foot or so away from it, as in the case you were standing. When you’re sitting at the table, there’s no need to lift up the saucer to drink from your teacup. It’s there just to stir the tea if you’re adding sugar or milk. The teaspoon shouldn’t go in your mouth, as funny as that sounds. As a general rule, don’t leave your teaspoon in your teacup. #6: Don’t drink from your teacup with the teaspoon in itĪfter you’ve stirred your tea, put your teaspoon on the saucer either on the right side or behind the cup. Also, don’t tap your teaspoon on the side of the teacup.

Making noise with the teaspoon is frowned upon so make sure your spoon doesn’t clang and touch the sides of the teacup. Move your teaspoon up and down (6PM and 12AM), gently folding in the sugar or milk. (With the pinkie finger down.) #5: Stir up and down, not in circles The teacup should only be held by the handle. #4: Hold the teacup by the handleĭon’t cup your hands around the teacup. The proper way to hold a teacup is to hold the handle with the pinkie finger down, never up. Should the pinkie be up or down when sipping tea? DOWN. Instead, place them on your chair to your left or right.

Phones, glasses, and any other personal items shouldn’t be on the table.

You don’t have to go decked out in party dress but stay away from jeans and sneakers. Most afternoon tea spots have a smart casual dress code. RELATED: What is Afternoon Tea? #1: Dress appropriately People like to call afternoon tea ‘high tea’ since they think it sounds fancy and posh but it’s simply incorrect. High tea isn’t the same thing as afternoon tea. Having proper etiquette at afternoon tea means you’re not loudly slurping your tea or talking with your mouth full.Īfternoon tea can seem intimating since it appears so proper but once you know basic tea etiquette, it’s actually a very relaxed, delightful affair. There are a whole host of myths, some more believable than others, around the rather large issue about your smallest finger.Pinkies up or down? Are you dunking your scones into your tea? Gasp! Enjoy your tea time by following these simple afternoon tea etiquette rules.

Of course, this was in the days before mobile phones so it was a discrete nod so that the pair knew and could arrange to sneak off later if they so wished.įinally, in some countries to stick your pinkie finger into the air could indicate that you have a sexually transmitted disease! In French court circa 17 century indicated that they had syphilis! When in court, if a lady saw someone she was sexually attracted to she would stick out her little finger to indicate her interest in him. Of course nowadays cups have evolved so you no longer need to do this. They were so small in fact that you could only hold with the first three fingers meaning your other fingers stuck out. The first was that the masters of the house thought their servants were unclean and therefore didn’t want to touch anything they handled so tried to use as few fingers as possible when eating the food.Īnother myth includes when tea was first brought to England it was consumed from small bowls without handles. This myth has come from two things whenever the upper classes has servants. It has been said that sticking your little finger into the air when drinking tea makes you appear elegant and regal.
