Today is the 244th birthday of the United State of America. The United States of America was founded in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed. The Declaration explained why the Thirteen Colonies at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain regarded themselves as thirteen independent sovereign states, no longer under British rule. We are still a relatively young nation when compared to others and our history is rife with conflict, bravery, and perseverance.
We have flags displayed around our house outside to celebrate our nations birthday. But for my tea today I chose to display the colors within the flag and what they represent: red symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.
The RED mug from the Red Lion Inn in Massachusetts, is an historic lodging that Dave and I have stayed in many times. We love it’s rustic charm, sprawling porch, and creaking floor boards. In 1773 a small tavern called Red Lion was established on the corner where this very popular New England inn now stands. The people of Massachusetts were detrimental in fighting for justice and freedom from English rule: the “hardness and valor” which the red in the flag represents.
The WHITE daisies I cut from my garden symbolize innocence and purity. This stems from an old Celtic legend. According to the legend, whenever an infant died, God sprinkled daisies over the earth to cheer the parents up.
In Norse mythology, the daisy is Freya’s sacred flower. Freya is the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, and as such the daisy came to symbolize childbirth, motherhood, and new beginnings. Daisies are sometimes given to congratulate new mothers. Certainly the white in our flag representing “purity and innocence” honor the birth of a new nation.
The BLUE jar I used to hold the daisies are an old apothecary jar from the late 1800’s. Oh, and I have a little blue in the frosting of the cookies. I don’t own a lot of blue. So, you’ll just have to imagine how one could produce “vigilance, perseverance and justice” from a glass jar and cookie frosting. Perhaps seltzer from an apothecary jar assisted a family during the Revolutionary war which allowed them to remain vigilant and then persevere to be rewarded with cookies once justice was served?
The tea I chose today is Keemun loose tea created by Nellie’s Tea Co. that I bought during a visit to the Tate House Museum in Portland, Maine. The Tate House is a wonderful pre-Revolutionary Colonial house built in 1755 for Captain George Tate (1700-1794) and his family, who had arrived in the Colonies from England. Tate served as the Senior Mast Agent for the British Royal Navy, overseeing the cutting and shipping of white pines from Maine to England. The museum/house is well worth a visit.
My hope for the future of this country is that we remain vigilant, reward goodness, honor valor, and provide justice for all.
God Bless America
Tea, Travel & Brain Aneurysm Awareness 