That’s about the perfect sentiment we can think of for a nice cup of tea. Tea is a wonderful drink that comes in a wide variety of different flavors, each of them having a distinct personality and character. It’s been used for everything from a simple morning libation to the central element of certain social and religious rituals. So important is this amazing drink that taxing it was the final straw that ignited a fledgling country revolution! Tea Day celebrates this fantastic beverage and the seemingly endless list of things it can do.
History of Tea Day
The History of Tea Day reaches far back into the world’s history but can be narrowed down to a place of origin that is surprisingly precise. The intersection of Latitude 29N and Longitude 98E, a place notable as the joining of NE India, Burma, China, and Tibet. There are mythological origins as well, some of them merely interesting, and others quite gruesome. In one period in China, the Emperor had ordered that all people of his nation would boil their water before drinking it. So it came to pass that the Emperor was sitting drinking a simple cup of boiled water when leaves from a nearby tree blew into it, creating the first tea.
In another tale, a man sat meditating in front of a wall for 9 years when he accidentally fell asleep. On waking he was so disgusted with his weakness that he severed his eyelids and threw them to the ground, where they sprouted into the first tea bushes. A little disturbing, perhaps, but utterly Asian in its style. Regardless of its origins (which may be in dispute) the importance of tea cannot be understated. We strongly encourage you to research it!
Since it would be impossible to cover it’s entire history here, we should at least address what tea is, and isn’t. Officially speaking tea is an infusion of the leaves of Camellia Sinensis, an unassuming evergreen from Asia. What it is not is anything that does not contain these leaves. While infusions of herbs not containing these leaves may be referred to as ‘Herbal Teas’, they are not in fact teas at all. Only those infusions which contain the Camellia Sinensis leaves can properly be called tea. Got it? Good. Considering tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, second only to water, we think a little accuracy is in order.
How to celebrate Tea Day
Drink Tea! There are literally hundreds of varieties of tea, from those that are gently dried and cured to those that go through complex processes that can include long stays in caves, there are as many varieties of tea as you can possibly imagine! Try a few new ones on Tea Day!
