Three Ways to Celebrate the Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party photo via Wikimedia Commons
Today marks the anniversary of one of the first sparks of the Revolutionary War—242 years ago, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty vowed to take a stand against taxation from Britain.
They dressed in Mohawk garb and hopped aboard three ships docked in Boston Harbor, heading straight for the stacked chests of East India Company tea. In their act of defiance, the group took the perfectly drinkable tea and hurled it into the waters below.
The event racked up quite a bit of financial loss and made its point. Today, as you are reminded of Massachusetts’ riotous colonial roots, give a nod to the Sons of Liberty by celebrating around town.
See the Boston Tea Party reenactment
The classic reenactment at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum has three legs: a meeting at the Old South Meeting House, a march to the harbor, and the destruction of the tea in the harbor. While tickets for the meeting and reserved seats for the reenactment are sold out, ticketless spectators are welcomed.
The public can gather outside of the Old South Meeting House to hear the declaration of the Sons of Liberty meeting from the town crier, join the march to the harbor, and see the tea-throwing in action. This year, the good old East India Company sent 100 pounds of tea for the reenactment.
Free, Wednesday, December 16, all three events take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., see bostonteapartyship.com for more information.
Admire the gingerbread Tea Party at the Taj
The Taj Boston whipped up a model of the Tea Party in gingerbread house form. Using 108 pounds of dough, 100 pounds of sugar, 39 pounds of fondant, and 36 pounds of icing, the intricate mini colonial protest took 388 hours to make.
The Taj is all decked out for the holidays, including an amazing gingerbread display of the Boston Tea Party. pic.twitter.com/s0Qlhp8zcj
— BostonTweet (@BostonTweet) December 7, 2015
Listen to A History of Tea
What’s so great about tea, anyways? Historian and author Anthony Sammarco will attempt to answer that question in A History of Tea. He’ll chronicle how tea has been enjoyed throughout the centuries, from its origins in China and India to its adoption by Britain and the colonies.
The plant that tea comes from, Camellia sinensis, will also get a shout out. Amateur history buffs, frequenters of afternoon tea, and those curious about the popularity of leaves steeped in water are invited.
Free, Thursday, December 17, 6:30 p.m., Brighton Branch of the Boston Public Library, 40 Academy Hill Road, bpl.org.
