With all the tax-related “tea parties” in the news lately, let’s just take a step back and remember what tea parties are supposed to be about: for some, an elegant occasion to put the world on hold and enjoy the company of family and friends in a quiet, refined setting. For others, they’re a chance to get dressed up and act silly.

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A Tea Party is a sure thing. Little girls, in particular, seem to love the concept, so parents and grandparents should consider celebrating their daughter’s or granddaughter’s birthday with a fancy tea party. In fact, the organizers usually have just as much fun throwing such a party as the little ones have attending it.

Bigelow Tea offers tea sets and treats to help you celebrate in style. And kids will really get a kick out of Bigelow Tea’s honey spoons!

Be creative! You can cut out invitations shaped like little tea pots; make goodie bags that look like giant tea bags with each child’s name written on the tag; and fashion Victorian fans out of pretty wall paper tied with ribbons.

For even more fun, have the girls dress up with jewelry, hats and gloves. Pull out old clothes or hit the resale shops to have plenty of costume material ready for them. The girls might enjoy making their own hats.

Little boys like tea parties, too. Try a pirate theme for boys, complete with eye patches and a treasure map, or a prince/princess theme for both boys and girls.

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The ultimate tea party, of course, was thrown by a little girl named Alice…in case you need more inspiration, read the tea-party chapter from that story or watch one of the many movies about the “mad” tea party in Wonderland.

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Above all, don’t be late for this very important date!

You may enjoy tea, but do you enjoy riddles without answers?

We’ve taken time to note literary works about tea, Bigelow Tea’s impressive performance in the United Way Book Drive, and have given mention to those who enjoy a book and a good cup of tea. There are also many wonderful works of fiction which rely on tea time as a literary device.

One piece of fiction which may come to mind is, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. While his work falls under the genre of “literary nonsense”, it makes perfect sense that Alice happens upon a tea party during her adventures.

It is always six o’clock at the home of the March Hare, and therefore perpetually time for High Tea. In the 1800’s, when Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published, High Tea was not considered a mid-afternoon meal for socialites, but a full dinner for the common people.

The Mad Hatter, a common citizen of Wonderland, was sentenced to death by the Queen of Hearts for “murdering time” (a fate he narrowly escaped) after performing in her honor. Due to his malady, he concludes time has literally been murdered, trapping him and his companions in an endless, six o’clock tea party.

“What about that riddle?”

“Why is a Raven like a writing desk?” said the Hatter to Alice.

This question and many other inane inquiries add to the atmosphere of the most brilliantly absurd tea party ever portrayed in British literature. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been interpreted by film makers since the silent film era, and a few clips of the Mad Tea Party can be found here, here, and here.