World Post Day: Universal Postal Union opened the way for efficient postal services.
World Post Day, also called World Post Office Day, is observed every year on October 9 and marks the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which was set up in 1874 in bern, Switzerland. World Post Day is observed to create awareness about the role and importance of postal services in the lives of people, and how it contributes to the global development. It was mooted by an Indian, Anand Mohan Narula, in 1969 at Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress in Tokyo, Japan. Since then, World Post Day has been celebrated all over the world.
Postal services have come a long way. From letters being sent to people on horseback, hand-delivered to evolving into full-fledged post offices and letterboxes spread across cities and towns to get the messages across. By the late 1800s global postal service started. Universal Postal Union, that started in 1874, opened the way for efficient postal services. The Universal Postal Union became an agency of the United Nations in 1948.
How World Post Day Is Celebrated
World Post Day is celebrated every year in more than 150 countries. In some countries, World Post Day is observed as a working holiday. It's a day when new postal products and services are promoted. On World Post Day, employees are also rewarded for good service.
Countries celebrate it by organising Philatelic exhibitions where new stamps are issued. On World Post Day, posters are also displayed in post offices and other public places. Several conferences, seminars and workshops, cultural, sport and other recreational activities are organised to mark World Post Day. Special souvenirs like T-shirts and badges are also distributed to mark the day that celebrates the postal services.