Traditional Tea Ceremony in Northern Ireland

Photo courtesy of blogs.abc.net.au


The Japanese have chado, "the way of tea". The Russians have their Samovar. The English have "high tea". The Indians have chai.

Tea as a beverage has been adopted in many different cultures and many different countries have evolved their own tea traditions. In Northern Ireland, tea is the staple beverage in households. They also have their own special tea ceremony which goes something like this...

Traditional setting: Typical Belfast living room on the Shankill - leather 3 piece sofa, sky sports news blaring from the flat screen tv.

Ceremonial guest enters living room, plops on leather recliner and shouts down the house, "Any fuckin' chance of a cuppa tea?"

Host from the kitchen responds, "Hold your fuckin' horses! I'm sortin' out the messages!"

Ceremonial guest retorts, "Will ya fuckin' hurry up?!? Fuck sake the match is about to start!"

*Loud ruckus of banging pots and pans from the kitchen*

A few minutes later, Host walks into the living room with a cup of milky tea, "Here's your fuckin' tea! Get it yer fuckin' self next time, flat ballix!"