We celebrated International Coffee Day a few days ago.
Some countries, including the United States, celebrated it on the 29th of September and others on the 1st of October.
But the thought behind this celebration was same… Coffee.
The most delicious beverage on this earth is coffee.
We make it with love, hard work and craft.
So why not celebrate such a beautiful connection?
Let’s dig deep into what is the international coffee day and how it was celebrated in 2025.
1. Why coffee deserves its own global day
October the 1st was the world coffee day…
Some countries including America also celebrate it on 29th of September.
There are so many beverages out there, a person ought to think, why coffee gets a global day?
Well, coffee is special, not only as drink but as a story that connects people from all around the world.
Celebrating coffee is not just about a beverage, it’s about all the hands behind it.
The farmers, the roasters, the café owner and the baristas, it takes a lot of people’s craft and love to create your morning cup of joe.
Since it’s October, the global coffee month we are going to learn a few things about the World Coffee Day including:
- its history,
- the fun facts
- and the celebrations
- how they celebrated in 2025.
2. What is World Coffee Day?
We celebrate coffee and all the hands that harvest and brew it on the world coffee day 1st of October, globally recognized by International Coffee Organization.
The ICO also organizes huge events, which most of the coffee industry attends.
It’s core purpose is to promote coffee and raise awareness about the lives of farmers, their struggles against the climate change and life in general.
Although, now it has also become a celebration of coffee and coffee culture.
There are barista competitions, different themes. challenges, and every kind of fun activities.
This year’s theme was Collaboration, and an emphasis on a sustainable packaging.
3. History of World Coffee Day
The World Coffee Day was initially introduced and celebrated by Japan.
Later on it was adopted globally to celebrate coffee and to highlight the framers’ life to emphasize on a fair-trade coffee system.
It has been an official international event since 2015, a decision made by the International Coffee Organization to launch the first official International Coffee Day in Milan.
Initially the sole purpose was to emphasize the struggles of the farmers.
Although now the World Coffee Day has evolved into a global coffee culture celebration.
4. Fun Facts About Coffee
There are so many unknown facts about coffee that are fun and interesting to learn.
I promised you some fun facts and I’m here to provide!
- Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world.
- Espresso literally means “pressed out,”.
- About 2 to 2.25 billion number of cups of coffee are consumed daily worldwide, making it the most consumed beverage after water.
Coffee was banned five times throughout history in some countries.
- Clergy Men in Italy tried to ban coffee labelling it as a demonic drink.
- Sweden banned coffee and coffee paraphernalia in the 18th century.
- Mecca in 1511, coffee was banned by a governor because he thought that coffee encouraged gathering and promoted radical thinking.
- Prussia King Frederick the Great banned coffee because he thought that it threatened beer drinking practices.
- Russia in the 19th century banned coffee because it hurt beer industry and it encouraged revolutionary ideas. The tsarist government gave out punishments that included torture and prosecution of coffee drinkers and distributors.
- In the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century, Sultan Murad IV banned Coffee because people were spending a lot of time at coffee houses and mosques were empty.
5. How World Coffee Day is Celebrated Around the World
It is celebrated globally by farmers, workers and business owners alike.
Companies give free coffee, merch and huge discounts on coffee.
This year Commonwealth Joe Coffee Roasters gave away free roasted coffee and swag to offices in the DMV.
Photo Credit: Danny Jacobs
Krispy Kreme distributed a free coffee and doughnut.
Also in England, UK, it was Pret which gave out free coffee to extra nice customers.
Photo Credit: Darren P. Leggett
Local cafes offered so many deals on coffee as a celebration.
People all around the world shared their coffee moment on social media with their favorite bag of coffee and also in their favorite cafes.
While some people use this day to talk about sustainability, fair trade and the lives of farmer to raise awareness about their struggles.
Everyone has their own coffee traditions.
Coffee traditions are heart warming moments spend with your loved ones or sometimes with yourself in a moment of discovery.
Coffee is emotional support for some and it is a special treat for others.
Whoever it is, coffee is special for everyone in some way.
My coffee tradition is related to my elder sister, Ayesha.
She’s a coffee lover like me and she was the one who introduced me to coffee.
(More like pushed me into it so I could brew it for her every time.)
Now that we are miles apart, whenever we meet (which is rare), we celebrate with a frothy cappuccino in our mother’s expensive china when it’s cold… while in summers we go for cold brew in cutesy glass jars.
One coffee tradition that I have with myself is profoundly precious to me.
It is grabbing a fantasy book from my book shelf and brewing myself a decent cup of coffee. Simple and peaceful.
6. Why World Coffee Day Matters
Beyond celebration it is an important day to aware farmers about their rights and fair value.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call farmers the backbone of this industry.
To protect the farmers it is important to educate them about their rights.
So they can trade better and not get manipulated into selling their harvest and labor cheap.
It is every coffee industry professional’s and coffee lover’s responsibility to take care of the simple and hard working people behind Coffee.
We can achieve this goal by being considerate of these three things:
Sustainability
Ethical sourcing
Fair trade focus.
Sustainable sourcing and packaging is the way to go.
As a responsible human being, it is our duty to be conscious to avoid harming the mother earth and leave something for the future generations.
If you’re in the coffee business, invest in eco-friendly packaging.
If you’re a consumer, buy brands that use in eco-friendly packaging.
Ethical sourcing protects the farmer’s rights and feeds their children.
Ethical sourcing means the beans are obtained through practices that ensure fair treatment and compensation for farmers.
Every person has the right to set a price on their work that makes their life easier.
So why not farmers?
When sourcing your coffee beans, you should confirm the farmer is being paid ethically.
Also as a consumer, be aware if the coffee you are buying is fair-trade.
7. How You Can Celebrate World Coffee Day
Everyone has a way of celebrating different things differently around the world.
I personally try to spread awareness on my social media and try a new local café or brand that’s fair-trade, ethically sourced, and sustainable.
I encourage people to do the same, and support local cafés and fair-trade brands.
Taking this simple step makes you so much at peace with yourself.
Host coffee-tasting events with friends and family.
If people around you are also coffee lovers or enthusiasts, try to arrange an event around coffee.
This small event could be a nice way to spend quality time together while also sharing your love of coffee.
Share a picture of your favorite or usual cup of joe. Whether you’re brewing it at home or buying from a local café.
Participate in the social media hashtags like #WorldCoffeeDay or #CoffeeLovers.
Conclusion
It is a significant day in the coffee world.
It is the perfect day to talk about the struggles of Farmers and Baristas to raise awareness about their rights and to encourage fair treatment and wage.
Coffee brings the community closer.
It brings joy to the customers and makes their day better with free coffee.
It connects all the coffee lovers and professionals through events, shared personal moments and social media.
Do tell me in the comments, what’s your favorite coffee tradition?
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