Victoria Day or May 2-4 as us Canadians like to call it, is normally celebrated by gathering around the barbecue, sucking back some brewskies, and ending the night off with a spectacular display of fireworks.
This can pose a problem with small children around, especially with fireworks. Many people think children will love to see the pretty colours and random shapes when in fact, fireworks can be very traumatic. First, there is that loud bang, like a gun shot, and then, depending on the venue, the fireworks could be close enough that a few sparks and ashes could land near the kids. Unless you are fortunate enough to live in a house with a view, I would avoid fireworks until at least the age of seven.
Keeping that in mind, some of the more traditional customs of Victoria Day, are perfect for the little ones, and can be enjoyed by the young at heart equally. One of these traditions is an English style tea party.
Of course, all tea parties need food, so the menu for this event is:
- Child approved Fruity Fizz Punch
- Cucumber sandwiches
- Victorian sandwiches
- Fresh fruit
- Sundae bar
If your children enjoy tea, by all means, serve that as well (cooled slightly), but since most children have not acquired a taste for that yet, pouring a little punch in their mugs is a tasty alternative.
Fruity Fizz Punch
- 2L carton of orange juice
- 1 package of berry flavoured drink crystals (such as Kool-Aid) prepared according to directions
- 2L ginger ale or lemon-lime soda
- Thinly sliced orange for garnish.
Pour half of orange juice into ice cube trays and freeze. Combine berry drink, soda, and remaining orange juice in large punch bowl. Mix in frozen juice cubes and float orange slices on top. Serve in teacups or mugs.
Parents often have a hard time getting kids to eat their veggies. Surprisingly enough, children do enjoy mild seasonings and flavours, and prefer raw vegetables over cooked. Cucumber sandwiches are a great way for kids to get in their veggies and think they are eating grown-up food!
Traditional English Tea Sandwiches
- 1 loaf of fresh white bread
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 package of soft cream cheese (plain, spinach, sun dried tomato, vegetable, etc.)
- salt and pepper to taste
- alfalfa sprouts (optional)
If you can, try to buy your bread from a bakery, and get them to slice it extra thin for you. If that is not feasible, plain store-bought white bread will do the trick. These sandwiches are all about daintiness. Take your time preparing these, and they will taste a lot better.
Slice the cucumber as thinly as possible. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on two slices of bread. Place a single, thin layer of cucumber on one of the slices, season mildly with salt and pepper, sprinkle with alfalfa sprouts if desired, and top with remaining slice of bread. Slice off edges of bread to remove crusts, and cut diagonally to create four triangles. Repeat to create as many sandwiches as desired.
Victorian Sandwiches
I learned about these gems on a trip to a local museum several years ago. This is a quick version of a classic.
- 1 box of vanilla, yellow, or white cake mix (with any ingredients the mix requires to make the cake)
- 1 jar raspberry jam
- icing sugar
Prepare the cake mix as directed, but bake in an 8-inch square pan. Cool the cake completely on a rack. Once cake is cold, remove from pan and with a sharp, serrated knife, carefully slice to make three layers. Spread a thin coating of raspberry jam in between the layers, and reassemble the cake. Sprinkle the top delicately with icing sugar. Slice into sandwiches about 4 inches wide and ½ inch thick.
Of course, on a nice, sunny day, no child can resist digging into some nice, fresh fruit, and I have yet to find a kid who will not eat ice cream! Prepare a fruit tray with seasonal fruits such as pineapple, watermelon, or strawberries, cut into bite-size pieces. A quick and easy sundae bar can be created with Neapolitan flavoured ice cream served with chocolate chips, mini m-&-m’s, candy sprinkles, chopped peanuts, caramel and chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and of course, maraschino cherries. The idea is that the kids can assemble these themselves, but a parent should help to avoid sticky situations!
A tea party on a sunny, Victoria Day afternoon is the perfect way for a child of any age to spend the long weekend. Now only if there was a swimming pool…
-By Catherine Weddum
