Celebrate Veterans' Day with a tea party!

November 10, 9:51 AMSan Jose Tea ExaminerElizabeth Urbach

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Elizabeth Urbach.  Veterans' Day tea table 2006.

The South Bay Ladies’ Tea Guild met in 2006 to honor United States military veterans with a Veterans’ Day Tea party, in San Jose. Since tea parties are perfect settings for conversation, reminiscing, and honoring tradition, why not get together with family and friends on Wednesday, and tell stories about the U.S. veterans that you know? Even better, invite some veterans to your celebrations.  You could even take the day, see the parade (at 11 a.m.) and ceremony at Plaza Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose, and visit the Home Front exhibit at History Park, to see some Santa Clara Valley artifacts from the 1920s through 1940s. Then return home for a Veteran’s Day High Tea.

The decorations for a Veterans’ Day High Tea should be patriotic and nostalgic, with lots of red, white and blue. If you have family heirlooms from the early 1900s, like crocheted doilies, embroidered tablecloths and napkins, and vintage dishes and flatware, this is the perfect time to pull it out and use it. Play a CD of World War I and II-era songs and musical pieces for ambiance, and for dancing if you like, and try serving some foods made from period recipes. Here are some World War 1 and World War 2-era foods that you could add to your menu:

Toast triangles
Date Nut Bread
English Scones or Whole Wheat Raisin Biscuits
Buttermilk Cornmeal Muffins
Pineapple-Apricot Jam
Raspberry Jam
Margarine (butter was rationed during WW1 and WW2)
Sliced Oranges

Crackers and Blue Cheese
Cucumber sandwiches
Anchovy Canapes or Sardine Canapes
Potted Meat and Toast Canapes or Potted Ham (Spam!) and Mayonnaise sandwiches
Jelly and Cream Cheese sandwiches or Candied Ginger and Cream Cheese sandwiches
Banana sandwiches
Date-nut sandwiches

1943 Victory Cake
Baked Apples and Prunes
Raspberry Jam Turnovers
Cornstarch Pudding
Jumbles or Oatmeal cookies
Homemade Fudge

So many people enjoyed the simple comfort of a cup of tea during the years devoted to World Wars 1 and 2, whether they were fighting at the front or working at home. When we celebrate Veterans’ Day, we tell the brave men and women in our armed forces that their sacrifice is valuable and appreciated, even if it goes unnoticed, or even is mocked, by the media. Pull out some things from your tea party pantry (if you have one), or take a look at my tea party shopping list before you go to the store, and put together a tea party, a great way to recognize their sacrifice! 

NOTE: this article is copyrighted to the San Jose Tea Examiner.  If you would like to re-print, quote, or otherwise use all or part of this article, you need to get my permission first, include a correct title and byline, and an active link to this page.  I can be reached at southbayladiesteaguild@yahoo.com.  Thanks!