Next week is International Letter Writing Week, which was established by the Universal Postal Union back in 1957 with the aim of contributing to world peace by encouraging cultural exchanges among people of the world through letter writing. It spans the one-week period that includes 9 October, the anniversary of the inauguration of the UPU.

October 9th is also known as World Post Day and is marked by an international letter-writing competition for young people.  The 2013 winner has already been announced and the 2014 contest is now underway with the theme of “how music touches lives.”

The week is particularly celebrated in both Japan and Thailand with annual stamp issues.  This year’s Thai Post stamps are a bit too cartoonish for my tastes but the set of four 3-baht stamps plus 20-baht souvenir sheet will be released on 7 October.  (There have been many late-announced or completely unannounced Thai issues  lately; I’m just now trying to sort them out for an upcoming article…).

I plan to write a few letters of my own next week.  And while there is a National Postcard Writing Week in America (early May), I’ll also send a few postcards for International Letter Writing Week.  If you’d like to receive a card from me, please email me with your full mailing address.  And if you’d like my address in order to send a postcard to me, please let me know via email.