Today, October 1, 2015, marks the inaugural International Coffee Day. The honorific day, which kicked off in Milan at the EXPO 2015, was agreed by committee at the International Coffee Organization. But wait, wasn’t there already an official “Coffee Day” on September 29, when companies set their social media staffers to stun with deals, discounts, and bad puns? Yes. So there are two coffee holidays? Actually, there are many more.
On September 29, the following nations celebrate National Coffee Day: Australia, Canada, Scotland, Belgium, England, Ethiopia, Hungary, India, Iceland, Malaysia, México, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, United States, Japan, Austria, Romania, Philippines, and Taiwan.
Even more national coffee days are celebrated at different times of the year in China, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ireland, Mongolia, Germany, and Switzerland.
On October 1st, the pre-approved National Coffee Day festivities in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom happen in tandem with International Coffee Day.
Are you buzzing yet?
But wait: why is International Coffee Day important? Is it more than free coffee at Dunkin Donuts and cloying Instagram posts from International Delight? Yes, says the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Peter Giuliano. “Today, the specialty coffee community is one of the most international there is,” Giuliano says in today’s post on the SCAA Chronicle, “[and] it is frankly impossible to get coffee into a person’s cup without engaging in international trade in some way.”
And he’s right, you know. Your beans may come from any corner of the globe, from Hawaii to India, Costa Rica to Sulawesi. And that coffee equipment you’re using to brew? Odds are it’s a global affair, what with the long cultural history of espresso machine production in Italy and pour-over culture in Japan. Maybe your favorite at-home batch brewer is Dutch. Maybe that cult grinder you’re currently wait-listed for is German. And maybe, just maybe, you’re combining multi-generational American hot water ingenuity with the latest delicious coffee out of Kenya.
No matter how you celebrate, we invite you to live every day like it’s International Coffee Day. Unless you’re reading this right now in Australia or New Zealand, in which case International Coffee Day was yesterday.
Zachary Carlsen is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge.com.
