While it is unclear who created Letter Writing Day, it is apparent that the creators of this unofficial holiday wanted to revive the art and tradition of letter writing and for people to show off their penmanship. I'll supply the paper, pens envelopes and postage, all you need to bring is the address of someone you want to send a letter too! Letters can be as long or as short as you want!
As Old As Written Language
Letter writing is as old as written language - people in ancient civilizations communicated with each other through letters written on a variety of different surfaces. Archaeologists have discovered letters written on wood, metal and ceramic plaques, leather, and fabric. Preserved letters are great historical resources - they are treated by historians as first hand accounts of the social, economic and political conditions prevailing at the time.
The mass production of paper and innovations in transportation made letter writing into an effective way to communicate with family and friends as well as elevated it into an art form. It also became a way for children and young adults to learn how to write and to present their thoughts and ideas cogently.
Decline in Letter Writing
The advent of the telegraph and other modern means of communications in recent years, especially the e-mail, has made letter writing a less popular activity. Today, fewer and fewer people take the time to sit down and write letters to their loved ones. Letter Writing Day aims to change this. The holiday encourages people to hand write letters and send them to their loved ones the old fashioned way - through the mail!
Did You Know…
…that until the mid-19th century, envelopes were all handmade? Because of this, envelopes were extremely expensive and most people just folded up their letters and sealed them with a wax seal.