What is a cuppa? – It is an informal way of saying ‘a cup of’ and often refers to a cup of tea.
Fancy a cuppa? – It is a British and Australian slang, “Would you like a cup of tea?”. In Australia, ‘a cuppa’ means a cup of coffee or tea.
History shows that the cup of tea started in China, where tea leaves accidentally fell into boiling water, and behold, they had a cup of tea. But the phrase ‘cup of tea’ or ‘my cup of tea’ originated in Britain.
My first encounter with the word ‘cuppa’ that stuck in my mind is with a friend, a mum with seven children who, after dropping her kids off at school, would go to a local shopping centre and meet with her friends on a Thursday morning for a ‘cuppa’. At first, I didn’t know what it meant as she tagged me along. We met at the Australian Breastfeeding Association mum group, where we became friends and she became my friend if I needed help with my little one. My eldest was a week old when we met. At the shopping centre, we went to the food court and sat next to a coffee shop, and there, one by one, her friends arrived. Some are already there, ordering a cup of coffee, and some already have some in their hand with a slice of cake. The little ones would have hashbrown or chips from Maccas or McDonald’s.
Why am I writing about this cuppa? My friend told me that if you need a break to breathe, go to the shop and get a cuppa, even just a cuppa! I was very new here in Australia then, and I already had a little one, so life could be a handful, lonely and no relatives to turn to. I will never forget her advice.
But I am not a coffee drinker; my husband is. Now, coffee and tea have become part of my everyday life. Tea was the first thing I was offered when I first came here.
Years later, I found out that one of the things that filled my cup with joy was gardening. I can stay in the garden for hours until my back hurts. I also found that I can plant little plants in my old cups. That’s when I started planting plants in a cup. A few years back, I sold cups with plants, mostly succulents planted in them, for fund-raising for an orphanage we support. Last year, I realized I could put a plant in a plastic disposable cup inside a beautiful cup. That way, the person who can buy or receive the cup has an option to use the cup for a cuppa. I found a hobby of collecting pretty cups from the op shop, filling them with plants, and selling them or giving them away. The cups often fell into the hands of happy faces.
A ‘cup of joy’ was often quoted in our conversation at church. A ‘cup of joy ‘, is not a literal meaning but a symbol that expresses great happiness or pleasure. The one that fills us with joy is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. A simple pleasure, but lasting.
Whatever fills your cuppa, coffee or tea, that makes your day, alone or with friends. Hopefully, you will also fill your cup with something lasting. May you have a great day!
