National Coffee Day is celebrated every 29th of September in the USA. About 64% of Americans consume coffee each day with the average American drinking about 3 cups of coffee per day, which makes about 1,460 cups per year.
This means that each coffee drinker spends about $4380 every year just for a cup of coffee, that’s a month’s worth of wages. This is how much of an impact coffee has on a person’s life. But it’s not just the US, pretty much every country in the world has coffee embedded in its culture and celebrate coffee in their own way.
National Coffee Day is entirely different from International Coffee Day. National Coffee Day is said to have originated in the USA, and is a different date than the rest of the world. Other countries will celebrate this day on a different day of the year.
When is National Coffee Day 2022?
National coffee day is going to be held on the 29th of September 2022 in the USA. This is separate from International Coffee Day which is held 2-days later.
National Coffee Day vs International Coffee Day
National Coffee Day is celebrated in the USA on the 29th of September every year, in other countries, the dates vary (see further down). The purpose of the day is to celebrate coffee culture and the amazing coffee you can make and drink.
It is very unclear why the USA started this celebration nationally rather than sticking to the International day.
International Coffee Day serves the exact same purpose but is celebrated on the 1st of October by the rest of the world. This date is recognized by the International Coffee Organization and encourages coffee celebrations in all countries through various social media campaigns and festivals.
Whichever date applies to you, the meaning behind the day is still the same, to celebrate the love for coffee!
When Did National Coffee Day Start?
The first ‘Coffee Day’ started in Japan in 1983 and now has been recognized and celebrated worldwide. It was only in 2005 that National Coffee Day was recognized as a holiday in the USA, then on different days in other countries. The exact reasoning behind this is unknown, but it has stemmed from International Coffee Day.
What started National Coffee Day was a reason to celebrate coffee and appreciate the different coffees from around the world. The culture surrounding coffee and its origins is incredible and proves a great foundation to celebrate coffee with a national holiday.
History of Coffee
Coffee can be traced back through many civilizations and the earliest reports state that it was a goat herder in Ethiopia that discovered it. Well, it wasn’t actually the goatherder, but the goats themselves. These goats were eating the Coffea Arabica plant and the herder noticed that they became more alert and active.
The herder took the plant back to a local monastery, and it was there that the local monks discovered the beans were drinkable. It is that moment that exists in history to show us where coffee came from. From that point the coffee plant began making its way to Arabia, Europe, and America, before becoming a staple item in every country.
This process took many centuries to accomplish, especially due to the trade routes and technology. Whereas now, coffee is a large part of the economies that are located in prime coffee-growing regions.
For example, Ethiopia is the 5th largest exporter of coffee, yet they consume 50% of their harvest in their own country!
It is always worth understanding where coffee came from and the processes that it has to go through to get to your cup. With many new and innovative technologies, both machinery and farming, there will be many new unique coffee beans being grown in the coming years.
How to Best Celebrate National Coffee Day
As with any holiday, it’s important to take part in traditions and acknowledge the day for what it is. Everyone has their own ways of celebrating, and yours will be unique. Just make sure that you celebrate with something coffee-themed.
1. Treat Friends or Coworkers to Some Coffee
What a great way to celebrate Coffee Day with other people by inviting friends or coworkers for some coffee and a chat. It might seem like a very simple celebration, but you can make things more exciting by adding some different coffee flavors from around the world or trying different brewing methods and styles.
If you really want to take it up a gear, try some tasting games with blindfolds and see if people can guess the country of the coffee.
2. Try Some Latte Art Designs
This National Coffee Day, delve deeper into the world of coffee by trying on some latte art designs. Here are simple tips on how to make latte art designs.
Before doing anything, prepare the cold milk in a pitcher so that it’s ready to be used anytime.
Find the right balance when steaming the milk. It should look like wet paint. Don’t over or under steam it, since it will affect the texture of the milk.
Always prepare a blank and clean coffee canvass. This will make the end product look flawless and smooth. Make sure that the espresso and the milk are blended properly before pouring down the pitcher.
Focus on pouring into the center of the coffee and then push the design towards the edge of the cup. This will create a continuously creamy look.
To avoid overfilling or underfilling, keep in mind the coffee cup size since this will determine how much milk is needed to be poured into the espresso.
3. Visit a New Café
Another way to celebrate the love for coffee is to explore new cafés or coffee shops. Don’t just settle in for the big names in the coffee industry. Why not enhance the palette and support the local small businesses. It is dependent on the individual shop, but many places tend to offer promotions on National Coffee Day, so be sure to ask if you can’t see a banner.
4. Look for Coffee Chains that Offer Coffee Deals
Coffee chains also end up giving out coffee deals on National Coffee Day. You can find a selection of buy one get one free offers, free pastries, and other great deals. Sometimes these promotions might last for an entire weekend or even a week. However, it’s still best to go on the day to get the best deals. Check out these chains on National Coffee Day:
- Starbucks
- Dunkin’ Donuts
- Tim Horton’s
- Krispy Kreme
- 7-eleven
- Wawa
- Barnes & Nobles
- Caribou Coffee
- Sheetz
- Circle K
5. Try Out Coffee Flights
A relatively new trend emerging in the coffee world is coffee flights. This is the same as a beer flight where you get 4-12 smaller coffee drinks that act as ‘tasters’ rather than having one full cup of only one drink. It’s a fun experience to try with friends and a good way to try other coffee.
National Coffee Days by Country
Remember these are the National Coffee Day celebrations by country, rather than the International Coffee Day on October 1st.
- January 3 – Mongolia
- April 14 – Portugal
- May 6 – Denmark
- May 24 – Brazil
- June 27 – Columbia, North Korea
- August 22 – Peru
- September (2nd Friday) – Costa Rica
- September 28 – Switzerland
- September 29 – Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ethiopia, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Norway, Philippines, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, United States, Pakistan, Poland
- October 1 – Germany, Ireland, Slovakia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom
Facts About Coffee for National Coffee Day
Share a fact about coffee with a colleague or friend to celebrate National Coffee Day.
1. Coffee Drinkers Have a Tendency to Live Longer
One of the best things about coffee is the health benefits that it offers. Various research has said that people who drink coffee are less likely to develop or suffer from Type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease.
A regular cup of joe is jam-packed with powerful antioxidants that protect against free radicals. This means that every cup of coffee will not just give out a powerful energy boost but will also improve health and reduce the risk of developing a disease.
2. Coffee Helps Fight Depression
Depression is a serious medical condition that affects a person’s life negatively. Although it’s curable, the toll it brings to a person causes them to lose interest in the things that once made them excited and happy. About 5% of the US population is affected by clinical depression.
Coffee helps fight depression and makes a person happier. A study by Harvard concluded that people who drank 4 or more cups of coffee in a day, had a lower risk of being depressed.
3. Coffee Is a Berry and Not a Bean
Coffee is technically a berry and not a bean that most people think. A coffee bean comes from the Coffea plant, and when it becomes ripe for the plucking, the seed takes the form of red or green cherries. Cradled inside the cherry is where the coffee bean lies.
The coffee beans are then dried, milled, and roasted to an aromatic perfection.
4. Coffee Is a Brain Stimulant
The main reason why a person drinks a cup of coffee first thing in the morning is to give them that well-needed energy and attentiveness to tackle the day’s agenda. This is exactly what caffeine in coffee does to the brain, it stimulates the central nervous system that makes the person alert, awake, and enthusiastic after a cup. So what’s in coffee that makes it an extremely healthy drink, here are the 4 most important active ingredients in coffee:
- Caffeine – Is the main active component of coffee that stimulates the nervous system.
- Cafestol & Kaweol – Are critical components of coffee that are great for protecting against cancer and helps the liver.
- Chlorogenic Acids (CGAs) – These antioxidants aid in regulating blood sugar metabolism and high blood pressure which are contributors to age-related health decline.
- Trigonelline – Assists in preventing dental cavities by hindering the growth of bacteria.
The Final Sip
National Coffee Day is a chance to appreciate good coffee and share the experience with friends and loved ones. The date of National Coffee Day in the USA is the 29th of September.
