New Holiday Talks with Teas

A full afternoon tea with delicious scones, finger sandwiches, desserts and more, is served at most all of our seminars, presentations and youth manners lessons and adult etiquette classes. 

We’ll be talking Tea Etiquette, Table Setting Etiquette, Dining History, Antiques for the Table and More 

as we celebrate 125 years of 

Graber Olives this year. 

Beginning Nov. 30th, we have several unique presentations scheduled throughout the holidays in La Casita for 

Traditions and Tea at Georgia Belle et Cie 

We still have open seats at the first two seatings, currently scheduled for Saturday Nov. 30th 

and Sunday Dec. 1st, from 2:30-4:30. 

Each talk is just $32.00 and full afternoon tea is served. 

Seating is limited! 

Call the Graber Olive House 

at 909-983-1761 to reserve your spot at one of our seminars.

For more information 

or to schedule a private group or class, 

call Maura Graber at 909-923-5650. 

“Tea: It’s History and Meaning”

“The story of tea is as strange and as fascinating as any that one can read. A prehistoric event dating back some 5,000 years is bound to be shrouded in many mysteries, but the exceptional qualities of tea are such that many legends developed concerning its beginnings. A highly civilized people like the Chinese considered it a special gift from heaven. In India, too, it was much the same. In Japan, a special ceremony grew around it. The habit of drinking tea is the only purely Asian custom which commands universal interest. Through it, the East and West have met — in a teacup!

Its introduction had a charming influence on our Western culture, even though a great deal of smuggling and piracy helped to bring it about. Discriminating Chinese taste insisted that tea should be drunk from porcelain; and this subsequently had a tremendous effect on world trade and the voyages of clipper ships. Art, politics, and religion were all involved. 

All this mystery and adventure stirred up many superstitions. Even today, some tea companies attach a little saying to each tea bag, such as: "to stir tea in the pot is to stir up strife."

"Floating tea leaves mean 'watch for strangers coming.' To tell the gender and the day of arrival, put them on the back of one hand and tap the hand with the other until they adhere — each tap is one day — and if they are soft leaves, it is a woman; if hard, a man."Fortune-telling from tea leaves is not solely a gypsy custom. Many people have read meanings into the shapes and groups of leaves that form in the bottom of the cup — how accurately is, of course, another matter...’’ - from Table Settings, Entertaining and Etiquette; A History and Guide

Planning Our 125th Celebrations

Yes we are, Violet! We took some time off, while we’re planning the Graber Olive House’s 125th anniversary celebrations , but we’ll soon be back. Our newest Traditions and Tea schedule (including some Downton Abbey themed teas) will be up later this month on the blog. We have some great talks planned for our 125th year, so check back with us to reserve a spot!

Celebrating Independence Day

Wishing you a happy 4th of July! 

Vintage holiday card from the early 1900’s

Gloves and Glove Etiquette

New glove fashions for Spring of 1929 and a blog post on glove etiquette, compiled from numerous etiquette authorities https://www.harssidanzar.com/glove-etiquette/ 

The prices were most likely comparable to 2019’s, even though this advertisement is 90 years old. The “Highboy” below, from the same newspaper, seems a bit pricey, but is most likely comparable to a modern day “radio receiver” or “mobile phone.”

19th C. Napkin Folding

Two napkin folds for the 19th Century housewife to try on her table– the Rose and the Star– from Mrs. Beeton

Entertaining and food ideas from Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, first published in 1861

Have a Wonderful Easter

1920’s Advertising for Mothers

I love to see what life was like for women during Georgia Belle Graber’s days as a mother of young children. I wonder if she used Lydia’s E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound. The adverts for the elixir were found in all of the local and larger newspapers.

1921 Humor in the News

What was found funny in the news pages of the 1920’s... From May, 1921

Wilson College girls got out their examination books today and answered the now famous Edison questions. Here is the result of their labor over some of the questions:

Q. What star is it that has recently been measured and found to be of enormous size?

A. Fatty Arbuckle.

Q. Who was Cleopatra?

A. Anthony's sweetie.

Q. What is coke?

A. Seven cents, including; war tax.

Q. Where do we get peanuts from?

A. The circus.

Q. From where do we get our dates?

A. The University of Pennsylvania.

Q. To what is the change of seasons due?

A. Good teamwork on the part of the milliners and dressmakers.

Q. What state is the largest?

A. Matrimony.

Boyabus Kissabus

Boyabus Kissabus a sweet girlorrum

Girlabus cryabus— “Wants some morum!”

Boyabus Kissabus — Walked old mamorum;

Boyabus kickedbus out the back doorum;

Girlabus cryabus, “Kisses no morum!”

By the author,

Ruth Martin

I found this charming verse when researching the women of the Graber Olive House family for a 4 month long exhibit at the Ontario Museum of History and Art in 2017.  

Ruth Martin was not a Graber, but her daughter, Betty, became one when she married Bob Graber in 1936. The paper was signed “By the author, Ruth Martin.” 

This style of speaking was called “hog Latin” and was all the rage with schoolgirls in the late-1800’s, and made comebacks several times in the early 1900’s.

Attend one of our popular “Talk with Tea” events and learn more about young women in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.