World Post Day is observed on October 9 to introduce and spread awareness about new postal products and services. On October 9, 1874, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) was established in Switzerland's capital, Bern. The UPU, later, declared October 9 as World Post Day in 1969 after an Indian, Anand Mohan Narula, proposed the idea. The day also acknowledges how postal services contribute to transforming lives.
World Post Day 2021: Theme
The theme for World Post Day 2021 is ‘innovate to recover'.
World Post Day: Significance
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the supply chain infrastructure across the world, postal services found a way to continue to operate, delivering goods and letters to people, sometimes in far-off places. It is this resilience that we are celebrating today. Over 150 countries observe this event. In some countries, it is a working holiday and in some, the postal department employees are rewarded for their service.
World Post Day: History
According to the United Nations, the first known postal document was found in Egypt and it dates back to 255 BC. But postal services existed even before that. In some areas, they operated in the form of messengers serving kings and emperors. Later, private individuals were allowed to use messengers to communicate with each other.
The world's first adhesive postage stamp that was used in a public system was the Penny Black. The United Kingdom first issued it in 1840.
Nowadays, companies are using postal services to deliver goods and grow their businesses.
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