On the 21 March, Julius Meinl celebrates the day of poetry worldwide, which means that on this day customers can pay with a poem in some coffee shops. All together more than 70 cafes have joined the movement around Hungary.
Julius Meinl is not only a coffee brand, but the ambassador of the coffee- and the Wiener culture. This way their coffee is know to have been an inspiration for artists around the globe. Drinking coffee in Wien or in Budapest was a kind of a cultural act, and the famous coffee houses were meeting points for the artists, the sponsors and the art-lovers. Some of these coffee houses are still working, and some even joined the pay with a Poem movement, for example Gerbeaud or Vigadó. In the freshly opened book-coffee, Magvető the customers can also pay with poems.
Takács Péter, the head of the Hungarian Julius Meindl told artnews.hu, that they find important reminding people, that some things can not be purchased with money is important, and that sharing a part of you, a part of your art or thoughts through poetry is essential.
How does it work? If you walk into the selected shops, you have to take a piece of paper and write a poem on it. It can be a famous quote or an own writing as well. Handle it to the cashier instead of money and enjoy your delicious coffee.
For the list of the cafes joining the movement, visit the Hungarian Facebook event.
