Introduction – International Tea Day has been celebrated annually on December 15, since 2005 in many tea-producing countries including India, Vietnam, Kenya, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh Uganda, Malawi, Nepal, Tanzania, and Malaysia. Presently, tea is the second most beverage in the world after water.  As per a study by the Tea Board of India in 2007, there is around 80 percent of the total tea produced is consumed by the local population in India.

Tea is a very popular soft drink across the world including India.  All or different types of teas are made up of the plant Camellia sinensis. Most individuals start a day with morning tea which helps in waking up in the early morning.  Presently, there are commonly two types of tea: Green Tea, and Black tea. Drinking tea has many health benefits as it contains antioxidants which help in lowering weight. Tea has also cultural significance in several countries or societies across the world.

Now, green tea is also popular tea across the world including in India because of its good health benefits. This type of tea is originated or created in China and is prepared or made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. Due to the increasing popularity of green tea, it has spread to several countries in Asia including India. However, there are several varieties of green tea but they differ which is based on the growing conditions, the procedure of production, and the time of harvest.

There are several other varieties of tea are given below –

• Lemon Tea
• Tulsi Tea
• Masala Tea
• Ginger tea
• Kashmiri Kahwa
• Cardamom tea

History – International Tea Day was first celebrated in New Delhi, India, and after that, this global day was observed in several other tea-producing countries on December 15, 2005. After 10 years, the Indian government proposed or requested the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in the year 2015 to expand this international day across the world. There is confusion about celebrating International Tea Day on which date May 21 or December 15. The United Nations General Assembly recognized International Tea Day on December 15 however, this global day was already celebrated on May 21 worldwide.

Significance – The main purpose of this international day to celebrate on December 15 is to honor the economic and cultural significance of tea across the world while highlighting its influence on sustainability and livelihood. The aim of celebrating International Tea Day is to spread awareness about the significance of tea and encourage sustainable tea production and fair-trade practices. It also promotes collective actions to implement activities of the sustainable production and consumption of tea worldwide.

This global day also draws the attention of people and governments across the world to the impact of the international tea trade on growers and workers. On this day, you can celebrate this global day by trying to take different types of tea and spread awareness about the health benefits of tea on several social media websites.