Besties, Christmas & a pot of tea…

Our sense of smell is linked extremely closely with our memories, probably more so than any of our other senses. And that certainly rings true for me – I get transported all over the place via what I’m happening to be sniffing – be that Izzy’s playdough (straight back to the Wendy House at my own nursery when I was 3) tomatoes (my grandpa’s greenhouse) or even glue (primary school, William Macmillan and a papier maché disaster).

And there is nothing more emotionally transportational (no, it’s not a word, but it should be) than a cup of tea. I associate the smell of tea with nearly every family member I know – it’s what we drink together when we meet for a celebration and especially what we turn to for comfort at sadder occasions. I associate tea with my grandparents, my great grandparents (I knew two of them and count myself very lucky), my aunts, uncles, cousins (oh there are many…) and of course, my mum… Tea is like an invisible thread that binds us all together, through the generations and across the years – my grandma had a tea ritual, as did her grandparents and theirs too… and now me… and soon, Izzy. I really love that.

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The Tea Advisory Panel recently did a poll around the power of the smell of tea and what emotions it evoked:

“Interestingly, even the aroma of tea was enough to connect the generations. More than half of those polled by TAP (54 per cent) said they harked back to grandparents, home, camping trips and childhood when they smelt a newly made cuppa. The aroma of tea also evoked feelings of cosiness, happiness, energy and relaxation.”

As the festive season approaches, it feels, more than ever, that just being able to be with each other and having the time to do so is valued in a way it hasn’t been in a long time. I for one will be taking time out to be with my friends and family, to listen to each other, talk to each other and, of course, drink tea. Tea has a comforting and supporting nature and I think this has a great deal to do with the history it has within our own families and what it has represented to so many people we have loved.

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I’m pretty certain that my grandparents had no idea about the health benefits of tea drinking – heart health, cognitive function, bone health etc – but they all drank LOTS of tea. Not just because they like the taste, but for the emotional and social benefits, which some might argue are the most important benefits of all in our golden years.

We drink tea to feel better about life. To take time out from a stressful day, manage anxiety, connect with others and even to just bring some routine into our days.

“Nearly eight in ten in the TAP poll agreed with the statement that ‘everything feels better after a cup of tea’”.

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During the war my grandma drank tea while she waited for my grandpa to come home, while he drank tea in far away places, along with many other members of the British Army. And although it’s not the same, the lockdowns here were the closest thing I have felt to the unknown. Yet, my tea drinking rituals remained strong throughout each lockdown. As have those across the country! We took tea breaks in our homes, flatmates made each other cuppas and we strengthened our existing tea rituals and, younger adults especially, started some new ones.

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So we shall continue this special thread and pass it on and on and on… Izzy loves her pretend tea parties, and I know it won’t be long before she’s requesting a cup of tea with her Jammy Dodger… and I can’t wait.

This post is sponsored by The Tea Advisory Panel