5 Beautiful Ways You Can Celebrate National Letter Writing Day

National Letter Writing Day is celebrated every year in the United States on September 1st. The holiday pays tribute to one of the oldest forms of communication: a handwritten letter. When technology was non-existent, people who needed to privately speak with someone would write a letter to express their thoughts. Letters were even used to request an in-person visit from someone when they needed to speak face-to-face. 

World Letter Writing Day was established by an Australian author and writer named Richard Simpkin. He has even created school workshops to teach children the importance of letter writing and how to properly write them. Writing letters allows us to critically think before we express our feelings. Many times when sending a text or an e-mail we do not analyze what we are about to say at all. 

So what can be done to celebrate National Letter Writing Day? 

1. Send a note to an old friend.

It is very easy to grab pen and paper and start writing a note to someone you haven’t talked to in a while, especially those friends who are not on any social media platform. Don’t worry if you may not have the most recent address of that old friend. Many times the post office will forward a letter to the recipient’s current address — if he or she filled out an address change form prior to moving. If it is returned back to you, don’t be discouraged. You can always snap a picture of the note and email or text it to them, as a cute way to request their current address.

2. Mail something to military members.

You can try sending a letter, postcard, or even a care package to a military organization or a veteran. There are military/veterans organizations that are willing to receive your letters and/or care packages, such as Paralyzed Veterans of America, Adopt-A-Soldier, and The Army and Navy Union, among many others. You can find addresses to these organizations on their websites or by contacting your local veterans’ hospital. 

3. Send letters of encouragement to young children in the hospital.

Let them know how much you are praying for them and/or how faithful you are of their successful recuperation. Doing so can soothe the patient’s mind and let them forget a little about all the pain they’re suffering. It can perhaps boost positive thinking allowing the patient to heal faster. 

4. Send a letter to an older relative, like a grandparent.

Our grandparents were probably around when receiving a letter was widely used to stay in touch with friends living afar. Back in their days making long-distance phone calls was expensive. So many of them relied on letter writing or a telegram. It’ll warm their heart to receive a letter from you.

5. Join an online exchange group.

Lastly, you can even join a Facebook group like Send a Postcard to A Senior 2020 or Pocket Letter Pals. In groups like PLP, you can swap mail with others while learning about crafting and scrapbooking. 

Don’t be afraid to get that pretty paper and decorate it and write and send a letter to that special person now. Moreover, don’t feel pressure to make it perfect or even super long. No matter what, you’ll bring joy and make that person’s day a whole lot brighter. 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

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