International Tea Day 2025: History, Significance & 7 Global Traditions

• International Tea Day celebrates tea's history, cultural significance, and role in livelihoods.
• The UN officially designated May 21 as International Tea Day in 2019, replacing the original December 15 date.
• The day highlights sustainable tea cultivation, worker welfare, and tea's health benefits.
• Tea is the world's second most consumed beverage, deeply embedded in global cultures and traditions.
• Unique tea traditions include China's Gongfu cha, Taiwan's Bubble tea, Argentina's Yerba Mate, and Japan's Matcha.

Why It Matters: It emphasizes tea's global cultural, economic, and social importance, including worker welfare.