Why Oct 9 is celebrated as World Post Day?

New Delhi, Oct 09: Although in the era of digitalization the usage of the post office has decreased, World Post Day reminds us of the invention of the means of communication. It is celebrated every year on 9 October.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) was established in the year 1874 in Bern, Switzerland and this event was declared by the 1969 Universal Postal Congress in Tokyo.

The purpose of this event was to bring awareness to the Post's role in the everyday lives of people, as well as its contribution to global social and economic development. Notably, UPU was the beginning of the global communications revolution the only means of communication then.

Every year it is celebrated with different innovate themes. More than 150 countries celebrate World Post Day in a variety of ways every year.

Postal services play a vital role in the daily life of human beings by making a high level of access to digital communication.

Postal systems have been in operation for many centuries. Earlier, letters were delivered on foot or on horseback by special messengers.

In the 1600s the first national postage systems began springing up in many countries. These were more organized and many people could use them. Slowly countries agreed to exchange mail internationally. By the late 1800s, there was a global postal service, but it was slow and complicated.

The birth of the UPU in 1874 opened the way for the efficient postal service in existence today. In 1948, the UPU become an agency of the United Nations.