INTERNATIONAL TEA DAY 2022: Are you a tea lover? Do you enjoy a hot cup of tea? While most of us enjoy coffee, tea holds a special place in our hearts. To celebrate this special beverage, International Tea Day is marked on December 15 in many countries including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda, India, and Tanzania.
According to the United Nations, there is historical evidence that tea was consumed in China 5,000 years ago. The beverage was first tasted by Chinese Emperor Shen Nung when he and his soldiers sought refuge under a tree. While they were boiling water, some windblown tea leaves fell into the container and mixed in. And the popular beverage was discovered in an accident.
Since its discovery in ancient China, tea has become a staple in many parts of the world. It became a symbol of religious rituals as well as a medicinal cure in Asian culture. The British commercially introduced the tea crop in 1824 to compete with China’s tea monopoly. It is grown in states such as Assam, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Sikkim in India.
The day was first observed in 2005 in New Delhi. The Indian government proposed to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2015 to broaden the celebrations around the world.
The theme for this year has not been announced yet. However, last year, the theme was “Tea and Fair Trade.” The primary goal of this theme was to promote the economic values of tea, particularly in tea-growing regions which are impoverished, and fair-trade tea will not only improve their resources but also expose their product to the international market.
The day aims to promote sustainable tea production, trade, and consumption. It provides an opportunity for global, regional, and national leaders to ensure that the industry continues to play an important role in reducing extreme poverty, combating hunger, and protecting natural resources and livelihoods.
- “Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea” – Sydney Smith
- “When there’s tea there’s hope” – Sir Arthur Pinero
- “I am in no way interested in immortality, but only in the taste of tea” – Lu T’ung
- “My dear, if you could give me a cup of tea to clear my muddle of a head I should better understand your affairs” – Charles Dickens
- “Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage” – Catherine Douzel
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