There are so many ridiculous new “holidays” that happen during the year, ranging from National Potato Chip Day (March 14) to Be Nasty Day (March 8), that it is hard to take these days and months that are dedicated to certain causes, or food groups, seriously. However, one that has recently caught my attention is Letter Writing Month. April is the home of April Fool’s Day and occasionally Easter, but it is also considered to be Letter Writing Month. I find this to be particularly intriguing because writing a letter is an almost obsolete act. When was the last time you physically wrote a letter to someone? It was probably a really, really long time ago.
I consider myself to be an old fashioned person when it comes to pen and paper so I am definitely biased, but there is something to be said about receiving a letter in the mail from someone that isn’t a company sending you a bill (seriously, getting real mail is pure happiness). Seeing someone’s handwriting, and knowing that they took the time and pain to write words down on paper to send your way, is a beautiful thing. I am an infrequent pen pal to my best friend who goes to a different university than me, and her letters never fail to make my day brighter. Sometimes, they are the only way we communicate over a span of six months. I am lucky to have a friend who adores handwritten letters just as much as I do.
I’m not alone in this. The “Write_On” campaign was founded by Egg Press’s founder Tess Darrow. It was launched in 2014 and challenges people across the world to write 30 letters in 30 days during the month of April. In the hope to inspire friends and family to get back to basics, Egg Press and Hello!Lucky distribute letterpress greeting cards that are limited edition during the month of April for people to write on and join in on the challenge. The Write_On campaign page has a blog, tips and a Tumblr to help inspire your writing. If nothing else, it’s worth taking a look at.
In addition to this April challenge, the USPS is also celebrating Letter Writing Month by releasing colorful stamp sheets and stickers to personalize envelops, letters, and greeting cards. Staying in touch is important, but making it as personal as possible makes it all the more effective.
I’m not asking you to write 30 letters in 30 days. You can scoff at me if you’d like. But maybe try to write one letter to someone you miss. Send a physical letter to your Mom and Dad. I know that I’ll be writing a letter to my best friend. It’s been too long since she’s gotten one from me.
