If your goal is to see more of your friends and family this year, why not start a monthly tea party tradition?

Tea is healthy entertaining—we’ve provided you with low-calorie options instead of all the pastries. But of course, have the scones and clotted cream ready for those who aren’t counting calories!

For each month of the year, we’ve provided two different seasonal concepts for a tea party: one from THE NIBBLE editors and one from the Fitzpatrick Hotel Group, an Irish-owned collection of hotels, where there’s a deep appreciation for the enjoyment of afternoon tea.

• Read our tea party article to see who invented the tradition of tea, why elegant people attend “afternoon tea” and not “high tea.”
• Discover more about tea in our Gourmet Tea Section.

Afternoon tea is a time to relax with a hot cup
of tea and a delectable snack. Photo by Kristian Septimius Krogh | IST