Do you know that coffee cups originate from Ethiopia/Somalia around 800 A.D.? Yes, that’s right, before the single cup coffee maker came around, ancient people’s were consuming coffee in coffee cups in the 9th century. From there, the practice of drinking coffee from coffee cups spread to Egypt and Yemen. Then, by the 15th century, coffee cups had spread to Azerbaijan, Persia, Turkey and Northern Africa. The Muslim world’s favorite beverage then reached Italy, the rest of Europe, Indonesia and the Americas. Therefore, it can be seen how “Let’s have another cup of coffee” became an international thing.

Cups of coffee have also served a vital position in various cultures throughout modern life. It played a role in religious rituals in Africa and Yemen. Coffee cups filled with coffee have been banned by the Ethiopian Church and the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century. Sipping coffee from coffee cups was also associated with counter cultural activities in Europe.

Coffee cups have spawned a whole genre of coffee cup art. From the image of a coffee cup on the wall, to coffee cups bearing the name of your favorite football, baseball or basketball team, coffee cups provide great subject matter for the pop art collector. Coffee cups also provide great gifts around the holidays. Around the office, workers get very attached to their coffee cups. As Christmas approaches and you have to give a gift to a co-worker, coffee cups provide an inexpensive option. You can even usually find one that is personalized.