Here's all you need to know about the World Post Day

October 9 is celebrated as the World Post Day. It celebrates the anniversary of the Universal Post Union (UPU), which was established in 1874 in Bern, Switzerland.

This day was first declared as the World Post Day by the UPU Congress at Tokyo in 1969. It was made possible due to the efforts of Shri Anand Mohan Narula, a member of the Indian delegation. The UPU brought about a revolution in the way people around the world communicated by introducing global postal services. In 1948, it became an agency of the United Nations.

Postal services date back to times when emails or phones were not prevalent in the world. Letters were a prime form of communication to pass on the news or personal greetings. Posts were eagerly awaited and postmen were considered to be a messenger of God. It was in the 1600s that the first national postage systems began to come up. By late 1800s, postal services started globally, but they were less efficient. The birth of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 made the services more efficient, and there has been no looking back since. It speeded up the international mail services, providing effective services, thus, reducing distances between the nations and bringing the world a little closer to each other.

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The day highlights the importance of postal services across the world. It brings to notice the contribution of the postal sector in the society and the economy of the country. It is celebrated by countries across the world in several ways - declaring a holiday, giving bonuses to employees, organizing philatelic exhibitions, and cultural activities relating to posts.

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Owing to the fast developing technology, the use of letter has declined considerably. However, the contribution of the postal services in revolutionizing the world communication will forever remain unmatched. In 2015, countries all over the world committed to working towards Sustainable Development Goals - in which the Post has a more relevant role than ever by providing infrastructure for development.

Following the World Post Day, October 10 is celebrated as the National Post Day in India.