One cup of tea, endless comfort on International Tea Day

A cup of steaming hot tea should be filled with the small joys of life, the peace of mind to relieve fatigue. To overcome the sleepiness of the morning, to take a breath of relief during a busy day, or to enliven an afternoon chat—there is no better match than a cup of tea. Tea has long been an integral part of our daily lives as a companion to happiness and sorrow, stories and chats, or busy work. Whether it is chatting with friends or spending time with family, a cup of tea also increases the warmth of relationships. International Tea Day is being celebrated on Thursday (May 21).

The history of tea is thousands of years old. In 2727 BC, the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung drank a piece of wild tea leaf that fell into hot water and felt a new taste and strength. Although it was initially used for its herbal and medicinal properties, it later became popular as a royal drink. Tea reached Europe through Portuguese traders in the 16th century and spread around the world with the help of the British in the 17th century.

The United Nations declared May 21 as International Tea Day in 2019. Since then, the day has been celebrated keeping in mind the rights of tea workers and the history of tea in mind. The Tea Board in Bangladesh also organizes various programs.

Behind International Tea Day is the historical struggle of tea workers and protest against corporate exploitation. In 2004, tea workers' organizations from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya participated in the World Social Forum held in Mumbai, India. At that time, tea prices in the world market fell, tea gardens were closed and workers' salaries were reduced. The forum revealed that crores of people are getting satisfaction from drinking tea, but millions of tea workers are suffering from poverty, malnutrition and lack of basic rights.

As a result, labor leaders proposed to celebrate Tea Day at the international level. December 15 was first unofficially declared as Tea Day at a conference held in Delhi in 2005. The date was chosen because of the historic protest event, where American freedom fighters threw about 340 boxes of tea into the sea in protest of the British's excessive tea tax at the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. Today's International Tea Day is not just a celebration of a drink, but also a symbol of the rights, history, and social justice of tea workers.

Usually, in most Asian and African tea-producing countries, the new season or main production of tea begins in May, when the leaves are at their freshest. So that the world market can be aware of the fair wages and rights of tea workers at the beginning of the new season, the United Nations officially established 'May 21' as 'International Tea Day' every year from 2020 after final approval in 2019.

Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world after water. It is not only a cheap beverage, but also a key driver of poverty alleviation and rural economies in developing countries. The main goal of celebrating Tea Day is not just to celebrate the joy of drinking tea, but also has a deep economic and social purpose behind it. Tea cultivation involves millions of marginal farmers and workers around the world, a large proportion of whom are women.

On this special day, environmentalists and agricultural experts are reminding us that tea production is facing serious threats as temperatures rise due to climate change. Therefore, it is important to take effective steps now to protect tea gardens, both for our own daily peace of mind and to save the lives of millions of workers.