Today is National Coffee Day! Are you one of the millions who will celebrate? Start by sending a free Coffee Day eCard and then find out where you can go to get a free cup of joe. Some local and national businesses will offer free or discounted cups of coffee in honor of the occasion. Participating Krispy Kreme locations, for example, are offering a free 12oz cup of House Blend coffee all day long. You can also pick up a free medium coffee from 7-11am at any 7-Eleven in the U.S.A. or Canada. Don't forget to pay attention to social media as some businesses plan to share coupons and specials with their loyal followers.

So, where did coffee come from and how did it become so popular? According to legend, a sixth-century Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi discovered his goats frolicking from one coffee shrub to another. He recognized that the coffee berries they were eating had a stimulating effect, and he began to experiment with the seeds. A century later, brewed coffee emerged in Arabia and the popularity of coffee grew at an exponential rate.

Today, over 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed each year. It is a world commodity that is second only to oil. Don't forget to take a coffee break (or two) to celebrate this historical and important beverage!