The Church Tea Party

T. J. Pratt in his Dictionary of Prince Edward Island English described a tea party as “a large, all-day picnic, usually church-sponsored to raise money, at which food was sold or auctioned, and games, music, and dancing were featured ”

Every year around the first week in July the St. Paul’s Church tea party was held. It is not clear as to why it was called a “tea party,” but perhaps it was because tea was the main beverage served with the food. Some men of the parish erected several booths, using poles or two-by-fours as the corner posts, and