International Coffee Day is an unofficial holiday with a dual purpose: to celebrate one of the most popular beverages in the world and to raise awareness about sustainable coffee cultivation, as well as fair trade practices in the coffee industry. While some countries have their own holidays to celebrate this amazing beverage, this holiday is observed by almost everyone on October 1st.

A Brief History of Coffee

Coffee can be traced all the way back to the 9th century when the coffee plant was discovered in Ethiopia. This plant smelled of jasmine and had white blossoms with red fruit. It wasn’t long before people began to strip the leaves from this plant and boil them to make a tasty beverage.

After a while, people began to believe this beverage had medicinal properties, and the fame of coffee began to spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula. During the 14th century, the people of Yemen began to grow their own coffee.

From there, it spread to Istanbul, where they developed their own method of preparing coffee. Instead of just boiling the leaves or the raw fruit, they roasted the beans and mixed them with charcoal. This gave their coffee a unique taste and aroma that allowed it to spread even further.

By the 16th century, it had finally made its way to Europe via trade routes. Coffee houses soon sprang up all over the continent and eventually made their way to the Americas by the 17th century. Coffee has become one of the most important beverages in the world.

History of International Coffee Day

Since coffee is such an important drink, it has holidays dedicated to it all over the world. However, it wasn’t until 2014 that the International Coffee Organization decided to create the first official International Coffee Day in Milan. From 2015 onward, it has been celebrated on an annual basis.

Facts About Coffee

• Coffee is the 2nd most traded commodity in the world. Oil is the 1st.
• The first food to be dehydrated was coffee.
• 40% of the world’s coffee is produced by Brazil.
• Chemist George Constant Washington invented instant coffee.
• Dark roast coffee has less caffeine than light roast coffee.
• In the United States, 8 out of 10 people consume caffeine daily.

Celebrating International Coffee Day

Probably the best way to enjoy International Coffee Day is by enjoying some coffee on this day. This can be a cup of black coffee, a Caramel Macchiato, a Mochaccino, a Caffe Latte, Café Au Lait, Cappuccino, Americano, or Espresso. On this day, coffee shops all over the globe often give their customers a free cup of coffee.

If you’re a regular coffee drinker, then this is a good day to change up your usual cup of coffee and try something different. If you’re not a coffee drinker, then this might be the day you want to try one. However you decide to celebrate this day, it is as unique to you as your favorite cup of coffee. So grab a cup!