It’s World Post Day!4 min read

Reading Time: 3 minutes

World Post Day is celebrated every year across the world on October 9th. This year is special as it marks the contributions of postal services during the pandemic. 

Can you imagine a time when there was no internet? No Whatsapp or Zoom calls? How do you think people communicated beyond a house?
Well, we have heard of stories of pigeons and owls. But, that hardly sounds foolproof.
I received my first letter when I was 7 and had just shifted cities. It came in a yellow envelope with a floral border. It was from my best friend. I remember feeling delighted as I opened the envelope to reach for the handwritten letter. The postman smiled at my exuberance!
There was an era before technology took over when the Postal Service ensured that the world stayed connected by going door to door with messages from all over the globe.
World Post Day is a celebration of that effort that continues even today.

World Post Day is celebrated on October 9 to mark the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (it was started in 1874 in Switzerland). The day was declared in the 1969 UPU meeting in Tokyo Japan after a proposal by Mr. Anand Mohan Narula, a member of the Indian delegation.
Since then, World Post Day is celebrated through activities and awareness programmes about the significance of the postal services.

Before the digital age, communication took place through letters, postcards, telegrams etc. Ask your grandparents and they will tell you of a time when postmen were considered members of the family. In times of instant communication, we might have forgotten the importance of postal services.

However, the onslaught of COVID-19 has brought new perspectives. The postal services are deemed essential services during this time. Their efforts have ensured delivery of necessities like protective equipment, educational material, testing kits, medicines etc. In his message on World Post Day, the UPU Director General, Bishar Hussein, said that the postal industry, “showed the world its resilience, its determination, and the invaluable role it plays in every society.”

Every year, to celebrate the day, the UPU also organises a letter writing competition for young writers in the age group of 9-15 years. This year the prompt given was to write a letter to your hero. 14 year old Richemelle Francilia Somissou Koukoui from Benin won the competition. You can read her letter here. She wrote it in honour of her cat!

India celebrates National Postal Day every year on October 10. The India Post Office hosts the largest postal network in the world.  During this difficult time, the members of the service have been working without leave in dangerous health conditions. Their aim is to deliver necessities like medicines, cash and protective equipment through instant dispatches avoiding any time lag.

Not all heroes wear capes. Some come to our doorstep and follow all procedures of social distancing to deliver what we need. Others work tirelessly behind the scenes to make this happen. Owliver is grateful for the services and efforts of these heroes.

How about you celebrate today by writing a letter to your hero? You know how happy a birthday card makes you! A letter can be that smile for someone.
Let’s spread some kindness and love as we make a wish for our postal services.
Happy World Post Day!