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Today (October 9) marks World Post Day – a day that sees people celebrate the postal system across the world and marks the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which started in 1874.
Since the beginning of World Post Day, celebrations take place worldwide including special exhibitions, open days, and the announcement of the best postal services of the year.
Postal services have been in operation for centuries, helping the world stay connected no matter how far apart we are.
Unfortunately, the UK has seen numerous postal strikes this year over pay and working conditions, so now is a better time than any to celebrate everything the service does for us.
Here is everything you need to know about the celebration, including when it started and why we celebrate.
What is World Post Day?
World Post Day is celebrated the world over to highlight the importance of the postal system.
The UPU includes 192 member countries and sets the rules for international mail exchanges as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations.
When is it?
World Post Day takes place annually on October 9.
It marks the creation of the UPU which started on the same day in 1874.
The group was established by the Treaty of Bern in Switzerland to help establish postal policies across the world and improve services.
When did it begin?
The first World Post Day was announced at the 1969 UPU Congress in Tokyo, Japan.
The proposal was submitted by Shri Anand Mohan Narula, a member of the Indian delegation.
Since then, World Post Day has been celebrated all over the world to highlight the importance of postal services.
UPU member countries organise different activities and promotions to mark the occasion, such as new postal products and services, and open days at post offices, mail centres, and postal museums.
The UPU hosts the International Letter-Writing Competition encouraging young people to write letters, with national winners often announced on World Post Day.
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