Observed on the last Friday in June in the United Kingdom, National Cream Tea Day is a holiday that encourages people to come together and enjoy a time-honored British tradition: the drinking of cream tea. This afternoon tea consists of tea and clotted cream served along with scones, jam, and occasionally butter.

All across the U.K., cream teas are sold in tea rooms and are enjoyed with friends and family members, especially on this day. Of course, a person doesn’t have to be a British citizen to enjoy cream tea or this holiday.

Anyone can partake in this holiday, as long as they realize that the real majesty of this setup comes from the cream. It has to be clotted, not whipped; otherwise, it’s not a real cream tea. Don’t just take our word for it, however. Ask the experts.

The History of National Cream Tea Day

It’s believed that the idea of cream tea began during the 11th century with the Norman invasion. The Normans brought the concept of cakes and tea to England, although it probably didn’t take the shape of the modern display of cream tea parties until later.

Cream tea became popular during the 19th century, and it’s believed that the trend of having afternoon tea with scones was started by the Duchess of Bedford. The custom quickly filtered down to the rest of society and soon became a British staple.

In 2016, National Cream Tea Day was created. It was a day for people to embrace their cultural heritage in the U.K. and share it with family and friends. All across the United Kingdom, tea rooms and cafes began to observe this holiday by offering special discounts on cream teas. This holiday has been celebrated ever since.

Observing National Cream Tea Day

As we said in the previous section, this holiday is often observed by tea rooms and cafes offering special discounts and promotions for cream tea to their patrons. That’s not the only way this holiday is celebrated, however. It’s also celebrated with baking competitions, cream tea trails, and special cream tea tastings.

Many people also organize their own events with friends and family members. People also use the hashtag #NationalCreamTeaDay to spread the word about this holiday to people who might not know about it online. Thanks to people being able to secure clotted cream off the Internet, this is a holiday that can be observed outside the borders of the United Kingdom.

It doesn’t matter if a person lives in the U.S., Canada, or some other country; they can still buy clotted cream and enjoy this holiday. And we suggest they do exactly that. After all, nothing really compares to cream tea, especially when it’s served with scones and jam.