Historians say it’s impossible to know exactly when tea was first served, but there is no doubt that teatime developed into a new social event in England in the late 1830s and early 1840s.

In Colonial Virginia tea was a meal between dinner and supper and was by no means universal even among ladies of the upper class. By 1800s tea parties were becoming very popular especially with the wealthy. Tea drinking in America had long been associated with the elite; the leaves for brewing the beverage were imported and thus expensive.

In today’s world tea parties can be held any time of the day and menus are variable. Faith Carter of Mathews is a great example of changing the old rules of afternoon tea and bringing it into the 21st century. For eight years Faith has been holding tea parties for the benefit of others. No two parties are alike. “My girlfriend, Ava Bomar, and I were working in White Stone where they were having a tea party. That’s where we got the idea to ...