Yes raw-al, a 'spot of tea' has been an integral ritual of life in England for some time. I presume it dates back to the days of Empire when the British tea clippers such as the Cutty Sark would bring teas back from India. Of course, the whole sorry slave trade and sugar industry was a big part of the equation too but that's another story! It's difficult to imagine English life before tea.
As you so rightly say, each society and culture has it's own tradition. In my view, one of the saddest facts of the globalisation trend is the homogenisation of such unique cultures. My globe-trotting best friend has now visited, I think, about 163 different countries and forever relays disheartening tales such as eating spaghetti bolognese in a hut in Nepal whilst watching premiership football.
