Saving the planet one cup at a time! ☕🌍🍃🌏🍵
Steeped In History, Sipped For Peace
For millennia, tea has been a social lubricant, a muse for poets and a source of comfort for the weary. These leaves, like caffeinated confidantes, held the key to health, culture and the occasional dramatic plot twist to many important events.
Legend has it that the first cup of tea was brewed when a wayward leaf from the evergreen Camellia sinensis plant fell into an emperor’s boiling water. And voilà! Tea was born and humanity collectively said, “Wow! This is WAY better than chewing on the twigs!”
Brewing a Sustainable Future
Tea is more than your cozy daily dose of heart warming caffeine. It’s a lifeline for millions of smallholder farmers, perched on terraced hillsides, nurturing tea bushes like proud parents. Their calloused hands select the best leaves and lovingly lay them to dry before they embark on their journey to your favorite tea cup.
When you sip that Earl Grey or matcha latte, know that you’re supporting the hard work, dreams and many families somewhere out there where your favored tea shrubs grow.
And as the world awakens to the importance of sustainability, so too does the tea industry!
Climate change is like that nosy neighbor who rearranges your garden gnomes without asking. Rising temperatures, wonky rainfall and moody monsoons are all conspiring against our beloved brew.
International Tea Day aims to promote sustainable methods that keep tea production and consumption eco-friendly, ensuring a steady stream of energizing antioxidants for generations to come.
After all, a cup of tea tastes all the sweeter when you know it’s been brewed with care for the planet and its people!
The Origins of International Tea Day
International Tea Day was first celebrated in New Delhi in 2005, as an initiative by several organizations including the Institute of Social Development, Sri Lanka and the Indian National Trade Union Congress.
They had brewed up the idea of International Tea Day at the World Social Forum in India, hoping to raise awareness about the long history and cultural significance of tea, to ensure fair prices for growers and to promote sustainable production practices.
With events held in New Delhi and later in Sri Lanka, International Tea Day quickly gained popularity, becoming a global event celebrated by tea lovers far and wide.
In 2015, the Indian government proposed expanding the celebration of International Tea Day through the FAO Intergovernmental Committee on Tea (IGG on Tea) during a meeting in Milan, Italy.
The FAO, along with some tea-savvy committees, championed the idea of International Tea Day, finally getting it officially recognized by the United Nations in 2019.
That’s right, tea is so important it has its own UN stamp of approval!
Tea-riffic Tips for Celebrating International Tea Day
When it comes to celebrating International Tea Day, the options are as varied as the flavors of tea themselves!
First step is to choose one or more of those blends!
Earl Grey:
Imagine a tea that wears a top hat and quotes Shakespeare…
Earl Gray is black tea infused with bergamot, providing a citrusy twist that screams sophistication.
Serve it with a side of cucumber sandwiches and a monocle (optional).
Matcha:
Matcha isn’t just tea, it’s a spiritual experience!
Whisk that vibrant green powder into a frenzy, preferable with a bamboo whisk and sip like a poet contemplating a haiku about wayward cherry blossoms.
Chai:
Chai is the James Bond of teas, bold, spicy and irresistible.
Simmer black tea with cinnamon, cardamom and a dash of intrigue of your choice.
Serve it in a polished brass kettle. Shaken, not stirred.
Oolong:
Oolong floats between green and black tea, like a mermaid caught between tides.
Its flavor is floral, fruity and as elusive as a unicorn sighting.
Pair it with moon cakes and a seashell tiara.
Herbal Infusions:
Technically not tea because they don’t come from the tea plant.
These infusions are the free spirits of the tea world.
Chamomile for bedtime serenades, peppermint for post-lunch pick-me-ups and hibiscus for a splash of crimson rebellion.
Serve them in mismatched cups and a play list of classic hippy folk ballads.
Now go forth, spread the tea gospel one post at a time. And if anyone questions your lavishly loaded tea table, just tell them Wild Calendar gave you permission and invite them to join the fun! After all, life is too short to skimp on the finer things!
#SpillingTheTeaOnSocialMedia
In this age of instant gratification, what good is a celebration without some social media bragging rights?
Snap a photo of your perfectly brewed cup, showcase your fancy tea infuser or document your high tea party with your besties.
And don’t forget the hashtags! #InternationalTeaDay #TeaDay #SteepItUp #TeaTime #SpillTheTea #SipSipHooray #BrewedWithLove #SustainableSips are all excellent choices.
Now go forth and spread the love and culture of tea, one post at a time.
TL;DR: Tea Leaves Deserve Recognition
Is it getting hot in here, or is it just my teapot working its magic?
World peace might be a pipe dream, but a perfect cup is certainly achievable.
Thanks a “latte” for joining the tea party today. May your tea be hot, your conversations warm and your heart steeped in joy!
Now go forth, brew boldly and have a happy International Tea Day!
You might also like these events:
World Cocktail Day
Mead Day
World Martini Day
World Whisky Day
Cosmopolitan Day
New Beer’s Eve
