World Turkish Coffee Day Date in the current year: December 5, 2024

Coffee has been enjoyed in Turkey since at least the 16th century. The drink and the activity of coffee-drinking were brought to the Ottoman Empire from the Arabian Peninsula by traveling merchants. The first coffeehouses were opened in Istanbul (then Constantinople) in the 1550s, during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, who helped popularize the beverage.

Coffeehouses originally served only coffee, but eventually they started selling other beverages and sweets. As they became more numerous, coffeehouses started to function as community hubs of sorts and became important centers of educational, social, political, and entertainment activity. Sultan Murad IV tried to ban coffee, alongside alcohol and tobacco, in 1633, but the ban was ultimately lifted due to the huge popularity of coffee, and coffeehouses continued to thrive.

Turkish coffee is more than just a beverage. It is an important part of Turkish culture and lifestyle, to the point of its importance being reflected in the language: the Turkish word for breakfast, kahvaltı, literally means “before coffee”. The centuries-old tradition of brewing and serving coffee is a symbol of hospitality and friendship, and coffee houses are places where people meet to converse and share news. Turkish coffee is also part of some traditional customs, such as engagement and wedding ceremonies, births, etc.

Turkish coffee is prepared in a small long-handed pot called cezve. It is traditionally made from copper or brass, although modern cezveler (plural for cezve) can be made from aluminum, ceramics, or stainless steel. The coffee is brewed by slowly heating very finely ground coffee in cold water until the mixture begins to froth. It is very important to take coffee off the heat at the right moment so that it doesn’t boil over.

Various additions (sugar, spices, sometimes milk) are always added to the cezve rather than individual cups. Because of this, the desired sweetness of the drink (unsweetened, semi-sweet, sweet) is specified when ordering the coffee. Turkish coffee is never stirred and is served unfiltered in small porcelain cups. It is usually accompanied by a glass of water and small sweets such as Turkish delight.

The exact origins of World Turkish Coffee Day are unknown, but it is clear that the holiday originated sometime after December 5, 2013 because it commemorates the inscription of Turkish coffee culture and tradition on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which occurred on that day.

To celebrate World Turkish Coffee Day, Turkish embassies and cultural centers around the globe organize coffee tastings, brewing demonstrations and workshops, and other events to introduce people to Turkish coffee. You can celebrate the holiday by going out to a place that serves authentic Turkish coffee, making Turkish coffee at home, buying a cezve or a nice set of coffee cups, and posting about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #WorldTurkishCoffeeDay.