September 29 may pass without notice for many people, but in the United States this day actually marks the celebration of National Coffee Day. The celebration, which has been adopted internationally in recent years, is meant to encourage people to celebrate, enjoy, and appreciate the world’s most popular bracing beverage.
Local and national businesses offering free or discounted cups of coffee to celebrate Coffee Day in 2013.
If you show the National Coffee Day offer via the Dunkin’ Donuts app on your mobile phone, you’ll receive a free small hot or iced coffee at participating locations. Krispy Kreme is giving away a free cup of joe to any customer – no purchase required – on Sunday at participating locations. And Starbucks will be giving out free samples of their Ethiopian blend coffee. Don’t forget to pay attention to social media as some businesses plan to share coupons and specials with their loyal followers.
So, where did coffee come from and how did it become so popular? According to legend, a sixth-century Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi discovered his goats frolicking from one coffee shrub to another. He realized the coffee berries had a stimulating effect, and he began to experiment with the seeds. A century later, brewed coffee emerged in Arabia and the popularity of coffee grew at an exponential rate.
Today, over 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil. Don’t forget to take a coffee break (or two) to celebrate this historical and important beverage!
