--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Afternoon tea needn’t stand on ceremony…" description: "\"“Afternoon tea needn’t stand on ceremony. Anything that becomes more important than sweet fellowship, whether lace or linen or the china itself, is pre..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/paul-kortepeter-50190_afternoon-tea_afternoon-tea-needn-t-stand-on-ceremony_3046290.jpg" --- # Afternoon tea needn’t stand on ceremony. Anything that… ![“Afternoon tea needn’t stand on ceremony. Anything that becomes more important than sweet fellowship, whether lace or linen or the china itself, is pretense. How much more we enjoy life when the pretenses are discarded!” quote by Paul Kortepeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/paul-kortepeter-50190_afternoon-tea_afternoon-tea-needn-t-stand-on-ceremony_3046290.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/paul-kortepeter-50190_afternoon-tea_afternoon-tea-needn-t-stand-on-ceremony_3046290.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/paul-kortepeter-50190_afternoon-tea_afternoon-tea-needn-t-stand-on-ceremony_3046290.jpg) > ““Afternoon tea needn’t stand on ceremony. Anything that becomes more important than sweet fellowship, whether lace or linen or the china itself, is pretense. How much more we enjoy life when the pretenses are discarded!”” [Paul Kortepeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kortepeter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Formalities distract from genuine fellowship; discarding pretenses enhances enjoyment of simple pleasures. **In simple terms:** Dropping ceremony reveals true friendship. Key Takeaway Embrace simplicity and authenticity in gatherings. Themes friendship simplicity authenticity rituals Mood warm reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - social gatherings - family meals - tea ceremonies - friendship rituals Key Concepts social etiquette cultural norms mindful presence Questions to Reflect On - What pretenses do you hold onto? - How can you foster more authentic connections? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on form can create unnecessary barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afternoon tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afternoon-tea/) [Ceremony Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceremony-important-5046072/) [China Pretense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china-pretense-5046073/) [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Enjoy life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy-life/) [Fellowship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellowship/) [Important Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-sweet-5046074/) [Life Pretenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-pretenses-5046075/) [Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tea/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in ceremony. I think ceremony is important, pomp and circumstance, tradition. I'm into those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-believe-in-ceremony-i-think-ceremony-is-important-pomp-and/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [“Miss West is never idle. Below, in the big after-room, she does her own laundering. Nor will she let the steward touch her father's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/miss-west-is-never-idle-below-in-the-big-after-room-she-does-her-own/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Just as London is not one endless afternoon tea, L.A. isn't all super-fit, health food-crazy freaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suki-waterhouse/just-as-london-is-not-one-endless-afternoon-tea-l-a-isn-t-all-super/) [Suki Waterhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suki-waterhouse/) > [Everyone's saved, we're in the grave. See you there for afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jethro-tull/everyone-s-saved-we-re-in-the-grave-see-you-there-for-afternoon-tea/) [Jethro Tull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jethro-tull/) > [Jihad is becoming as American as apple pie and as British as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-al-awlaki/jihad-is-becoming-as-american-as-apple-pie-and-as-british-as/) [Anwar al-Awlaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-al-awlaki/) > [“At that moment, Bobbie Faye felt an unbridled hatred for every movie heroine who'd ever raced away from he villain in Jimmy Choo shoes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-mcgee-causey/at-that-moment-bobbie-faye-felt-an-unbridled-hatred-for-every-movie/) [Toni McGee Causey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-mcgee-causey/) > [Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/under-certain-circumstances-there-are-few-hours-in-life-more/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [ “Nowhere is the English genius of domesticity more notably evident than in the festival of afternoon tea. The \[...\] chink of cups and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nowhere-is-the-english-genius-of-domesticity-more-notably-evident/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Mrs. Jones had invited a great and well-known violinist to entertain at her afternoon tea. When it was all over, everyone crowded around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/mrs-jones-had-invited-a-great-and-well-known-violinist-to-entertain/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“You can serve high tea around the dining room table, but afternoon tea is more of a living room occasion, with everything brought in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-hynes/you-can-serve-high-tea-around-the-dining-room-table-but-afternoon-tea/) [Angela Hynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-hynes/) > [I would give my back tooth - the one with the silver filling - to eat afternoon tea with my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-dent/i-would-give-my-back-tooth-the-one-with-the-silver-filling-to-eat/) [Grace Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-dent/) > [There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/there-are-few-hours-in-life-more-agreeable-than-the-hour-dedicated-to/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Someone's killed 100,000 people. We're almost going, "Well done! You killed 100,000 people? You must get up very early in the morning! I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/someone-s-killed-100-000-people-we-re-almost-going-well-done-you/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [“Coffee could easily become lunch if one was not careful, and lunch could so comfortably slip into afternoon tea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one-was-not-careful-and-lunch/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [My grandparents were far more English in their manners than they were Chinese. For example, we spoke English at home, had afternoon tea every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/my-grandparents-were-far-more-english-in-their-manners-than-they-were/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) ## More by Paul Kortepeter > [“Snow harder! Snow more! Snow blizzards galore! I can’t get enough Of the fluffy white stuff! Snow! Snow! Snow! Snow a ton! Snow a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kortepeter/snow-harder-snow-more-snow-blizzards-galore-i-can-t-get-enough-of-the/) [Paul Kortepeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kortepeter/) > [“Coffee and chocolate are certainly wonderful, but they must forever carry tea’s silken train, ever the bridesmaids and never the bride.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kortepeter/coffee-and-chocolate-are-certainly-wonderful-but-they-must-forever/) [Paul Kortepeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kortepeter/) > [“Green is the soul of Spring. Summer may be dappled with yellow, Autumn with orange and Winter with white but Spring is drenched with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kortepeter/green-is-the-soul-of-spring-summer-may-be-dappled-with-yellow-autumn/) [Paul Kortepeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kortepeter/) > [“Would you like some warm Spring pie? Then, take a cup of clear blue sky. Stir in buzzes from a bee, Add the laughter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kortepeter/would-you-like-some-warm-spring-pie-then-take-a-cup-of-clear-blue-sky/) [Paul Kortepeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kortepeter/) > [“Happy Easter to you, my friend! This day’s light shall have no end. For Christ did rise In the golden morn And by His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kortepeter/happy-easter-to-you-my-friend-this-day-s-light-shall-have-no-end-for/) [Paul Kortepeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kortepeter/) > [“Iced tea! Nothing is half so refreshing as a glass of black tea piled high with ice! More than a quencher of thirst, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kortepeter/iced-tea-nothing-is-half-so-refreshing-as-a-glass-of-black-tea-piled/) [Paul Kortepeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kortepeter/) [Explore all 7 Paul Kortepeter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kortepeter/) ## More Afternoon tea quotes > [My grandparents were far more English in their manners than they were Chinese. For example, we spoke English at home, had afternoon tea every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/my-grandparents-were-far-more-english-in-their-manners-than-they-were/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [“Coffee could easily become lunch if one was not careful, and lunch could so comfortably slip into afternoon tea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/coffee-could-easily-become-lunch-if-one-was-not-careful-and-lunch/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [Someone's killed 100,000 people. We're almost going, "Well done! You killed 100,000 people? You must get up very early in the morning! I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/someone-s-killed-100-000-people-we-re-almost-going-well-done-you/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/there-are-few-hours-in-life-more-agreeable-than-the-hour-dedicated-to/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [I would give my back tooth - the one with the silver filling - to eat afternoon tea with my mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-dent/i-would-give-my-back-tooth-the-one-with-the-silver-filling-to-eat/) [Grace Dent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-dent/) > [“You can serve high tea around the dining room table, but afternoon tea is more of a living room occasion, with everything brought in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-hynes/you-can-serve-high-tea-around-the-dining-room-table-but-afternoon-tea/) [Angela Hynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-hynes/) > [“Mrs. Jones had invited a great and well-known violinist to entertain at her afternoon tea. When it was all over, everyone crowded around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/mrs-jones-had-invited-a-great-and-well-known-violinist-to-entertain/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [ “Nowhere is the English genius of domesticity more notably evident than in the festival of afternoon tea. The \[...\] chink of cups and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nowhere-is-the-english-genius-of-domesticity-more-notably-evident/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/under-certain-circumstances-there-are-few-hours-in-life-more/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“At that moment, Bobbie Faye felt an unbridled hatred for every movie heroine who'd ever raced away from he villain in Jimmy Choo shoes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-mcgee-causey/at-that-moment-bobbie-faye-felt-an-unbridled-hatred-for-every-movie/) [Toni McGee Causey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-mcgee-causey/) > [Jihad is becoming as American as apple pie and as British as afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-al-awlaki/jihad-is-becoming-as-american-as-apple-pie-and-as-british-as/) [Anwar al-Awlaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-al-awlaki/) > [Everyone's saved, we're in the grave. See you there for afternoon tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jethro-tull/everyone-s-saved-we-re-in-the-grave-see-you-there-for-afternoon-tea/) [Jethro Tull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jethro-tull/) > [Just as London is not one endless afternoon tea, L.A. isn't all super-fit, health food-crazy freaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suki-waterhouse/just-as-london-is-not-one-endless-afternoon-tea-l-a-isn-t-all-super/) [Suki Waterhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suki-waterhouse/) > [“Miss West is never idle. Below, in the big after-room, she does her own laundering. Nor will she let the steward touch her father's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/miss-west-is-never-idle-below-in-the-big-after-room-she-does-her-own/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Flying has changed how we imagine our planet, which we have seen whole from space, so that even the farthest nations are ecological neighbors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/flying-has-changed-how-we-imagine-our-planet-which-we-have-seen-whole/) [Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/) [Browse all 38 Afternoon tea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afternoon-tea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Afternoon tea needn’t stand on ceremony. Anything that becomes more important than sweet fellowship, whether lace or linen or the china itself, is pretense. 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