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Tea Parties
By Roberta Beach Jacobson
As I think back to the 1950s, I'm not sure why we girls held tea parties. It
was just something elementary school-aged girls did. And enjoyed. Of course
our miniature tea sets were fake (scratched metal, a far cry from sterling
silver) and we only managed to serve cold water to our guests.
I suppose this was part of our “training” for later in life. In the 1950s,
women didn't seek out careers. It was expected we'd all grow up to become
wives and mothers. Nobody questioned that, at least nobody I knew. In those
days, I didn't have a single friend whose mother worked outside the home. It
was unheard of.
All the girls in the neighborhood, our ages mixed, would meet after school
or on weekends for our various tea parties and mothers would dutifully
provide plates of homemade cookies, maybe peanut butter or chocolate chip,
to adorn our tables. Of course we used linen tablecloths, things moms had to
iron. Learning to set a proper table was also part of our preparation for
the days when we'd be expected to take care of a husband (and kids of our
own).
In my younger years, I don't ever remember calling a friend on the telephone
We'd race across yards or around blocks to invite our friends over for tea
personally. Nobody ever said no. It was our way of socializing, perhaps
mimicking our mothers, who had coffee klatches with neighborhood gals.
Fathers were away at work.
People didn't watch much television in those days and so spending time with
friends helped pass the time. Even though it may sound silly, I have fond
memories of my tea-parties-with-no-tea.
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