Blog

“Advent” comes from the Latin word meaning “arrival.” In the Christian calendar, Advent is a four-week period that prepares people for the birth of Christ on Christmas Day.

I was not raised in a particularly religious family. I was baptized Presbyterian and attended Sunday school for a couple of years when I was little. Later, I married a lapsed Catholic who chose not to continue the faith he felt was forced on him. While our household leaned more toward a Santa Christmas than a Jesus Christmas, I did keep one religious tradition for my daughters: Advent calendars. They both loved opening them each day. Sometimes they were filled with candy, but later I was given a reusable one that I filled myself and sent it to my daughter in Seattle, tucked with different goodies and small Hallmark ornaments for her mini tree on her desk at work. 

My youngest daughter carried this tradition forward with her friend group from graduate school. Since I have moved here, she has included me in her quest for unique, curated Advent calendars, often centered around a tea theme. This year, instead of filling her own calendar or ordering one online, she kept it local and ordered from Friday Afternoon Tea (4228 Stone Way N).

I had been there once when I first moved to Seattle, when an acquaintance invited me to have tea. When she mentioned “Friday afternoon tea,” I wrote it down, assuming I was having tea with her on Friday afternoon, but I was unsure what time. When I contacted her to ask, she said 1 pm on Thursday. I didn’t understand until she laughed and told me “Friday Afternoon Tea” was the name of the tea shop, not when we were going. I wonder if I’m the only person who has been confused by that!

My daughter ordered calendars for her friends and for me, made sure we received them before December 1st, and created a group chat where we could share our thoughts on the tea of the day. Each day’s tea was packaged in a brown envelope stamped with the date, but without revealing what kind of tea it was. To find out, we had to follow a link. Guessing the tea before checking became part of the fun. So far, I have discovered several favorites. Winter Huntress, a white tea with multiple mints, was wonderful. Purple tea was especially fun because it actually turns purple when citrus is added. Constant Craving had too much chocolate for me, but you get the idea: every day is a new tea. I love the fact that by Christmas, I will have sampled 25 different teas and have a much better idea of what I like for future visits to Friday Afternoon Tea—maybe on a Monday.

I highly recommend this Advent calendar for anyone looking for a gift next year. Sharing it as a group makes it even more enjoyable. You don’t need to be religious, Christian, or anything else, since there are no requirements—just the simple pleasure of savoring wonderful tea throughout the month, especially in the afternoon.