It's the most magical time of the year -- World Postcard Day! Started by Postcrossing in 2019 to mark the 150th 'birthday' of the postcard, this annual event encourages letter writers around the world to pick up a pen and post...a postcard! You might have already sent out a bushel of postcards in anticipation or you could use today as a motivator to jot a few lines of hello to someone near or far.
I thought that the best way to celebrate the postcard would be to look at some of the ways the postcard has shaped my life personally and here at Flea Market Love Letters H.Q.
Postcards Throughout History:
There's no denying that here at Flea Market H.Q. we're big fans of the postcard as a historical artefact. Perhaps it's the brevity of the message space on the back of the postcard that captures our imaginations? It certainly captured the imagination of a Flea Market Love Letters reader, who sent a selection of cards she found at a London-based flea market which we shared as 'Miss Caufield's Postcards'.
While there are thousands of letters in the archive, I'm always delighted to pick up vintage postcards on my travels, like on this trip to Paris, France in Summer 2023. And when I'm not on the hunt for vintage postcards you might spot me returning to the locations depicted on postcards like we have in Paris, France and Dublin, Ireland. That is if I'm not already on the hunt for a postbox to send my own postcards!
Postcards Today:
A postcard is a thoughtful way to send a friend, family member, or pen pal a quick note to say you're thinking of them, perhaps between longer letters. Postcards and letters are a wonderful way to connect with someone near or afar. I came to letter writing as a hobby during the COVID-19 lockdown(s), so it was beyond exciting in 2021 to hold a meetup for Dublin based letter writers called 'Postcards in the Park'. We met on a summer's day, chatted, and even wrote some postcards -- perfection.
Just like I enjoy sending postcards from home, I love to send postcards when I am traveling. In 2021 I raised funds for 'From Me to You' with my '28 for 28' fundraiser -- including a spontaneous decision to write postcards and post them to those who made a donation, from Paris, France!
And just this August I got the chance to visit a penpal in Berlin, Germany with a penpal from England! You best believe that we stopped every time we saw a postcard stand.
I've talked before about the power of the pen pal both in my own life and in the many stories from around the world about pen pals, that come across my desk. If you're interested in writing letters or postcards and would like to learn more about how to get started, we can help.
If you're interested in writing postcards today but can't think of someone to send them to, Postcrossing is there for you! The global postcard exchange service is celebrating World Postcard Day for good measure -- there are 804,000 registered users on the site from 209 different countries. So whether you're home or abroad, please consider picking up a postcard or two and who knows -- you might just make someone's day!
Get in Touch.
Have a question about any of the topics covered above? Write us an email at info@fleamarketloveletters.com
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