Caffè sospeso
A caffè sospeso (Italian: suspended coffee) is a cup of coffee paid for in advance as an anonymous act of charity. The tradition began in the working-class cafés of Naples, where someone who had experienced good luck would order a sospeso, paying the price of two coffees but receiving and consuming only one. A poor person enquiring later whether there was a sospeso available would then be served a coffee for free.[1][2] Coffee shops in other countries have adopted the sospeso to increase sales.
History
One 2010 account claims the tradition was over 100 years old, but declined during the postwar economic boom, so that it is mainly observed around Christmastime.[3] A 2008 article reported the tradition was obsolescent, the reporter visiting three bars where it had not been observed for at least 15 years.[4] Aurelio De Laurentiis is reported to pay for ten sospesi after each victory by S.S.C. Napoli, the football club of which he is chairman.[5]
The sospeso gave the title to a 2008 journalism collection of by Neapolitan Luciano De Crescenzo, Il caffe sospeso: Saggezza quotidiana in piccoli sorsi, which helped publicise the tradition throughout Italy.[2][6] The idea has been reported in cafés in Bulgaria[7], Kiev[2], Melbourne[1], Québec[8], and Russia [9]. A Dutch campaign at Christmas 2011 gave a discount on the price of the donated coffee.[10]
The UK arm of coffee chain Starbucks signed up for a charity initiative based on the suspended coffee concept in April 2013, in which it said it would match the value of each suspended coffee with a cash donation to the Oasis charity.[11] The growth of the trend in other coffee shops in the UK also received media coverage around the same time.[12]
Symbolism
The caffè sospeso has been identified as a symbol of grassroots social solidarity, prompting its revival in response to the 2008 recession and ensuing eurozone crisis.[3] In 2004, a giornata nazionale del sospeso at Easter was announced by the Ronde della carita charity.[13] In 2011, a Giornata del Caffè Sospeso was scheduled to coincide with Human Rights Day in December.[14] A collection of Italian arts festivals emphasising social solidarity in 2010 came together under the umbrella "Rete del Caffè Sospeso".[15] An Italian fundraising website started by Luca Argento is called 1café.org.[16][17]
References
- ^ a b Dubecki, Larissa (21 April 2009). "Espresso: Coffee goodness". The Age. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ a b c Zhuk, Alyona (21 February 2012). "Free coffee, anyone?". The Sofia Echo. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ a b Scalzi, Mario (7 April 2010). "Italian Coffee Break part 1 — Paying it Forward in Naples". Access Italy. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ W., R. "Caffè sospeso, tradizione "sospesa" a un filo Rischia di scomparire la tazzulella benefica". Corriere del Mezzogiorno Campania (in Italian). Corriere della Sera. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ Eggleton, Pat (4 May 2010). "Buon Compleanno, Gambrinus". ITALY Magazine. istos srl. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ Crescenzo, Luciano De (2010-10-07). Il caffè sospeso (in Italian). Edizioni Mondadori. ISBN 9788852014161.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Agence France-Presse (25 March 2013). "Bulgarian cafés get an Italian twist". News24. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/vivre-ici/societe/201304/11/01-4640087-un-premier-cafe-en-attente-a-quebec.php
- ^ Faustova, Milena (7 January 2012). "Coffee free of charge". Voice of Russia. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ "Caffè Sospeso voor inloophuizen -". AT5 Echt Amsterdams Nieuws (in Dutch). 21 December 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1177756/Starbucks-joins-Suspended-Coffee-homeless-initiative
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22267613
- ^ "Oggi giornata nazionale del caffé "sospeso"". Nove da Firenze (in Italian). 12 April 2004. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ ""La Voce del Corpo" di Luca Vullo in tour". CinemaItaliano.info (in Italian). 29 November 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ "Principi" (in Italian). Rete del Caffè Sospeso. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ "1 Caffè" (in Italian). Retrieved 28 March 2013.
- ^ Fradelloni, Francesca (23 December 2011). "Una Iena più verde che nera. Intervista a Luca Argentero". Greenews (in Italian). Retrieved 28 March 2013.
16. Suzhou, China (April 22, 2013) Suzhou restaurant joins 'suspended meal' movement. Suzhou Daily. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
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