World Post day is celebrated each year on October 9. It is the date for the establishment of Universal Postal Union in 1874 in Bern, Switzerland. The event was declared by the 1969 Universal Postal Congress in Tokyo as a means to mark the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) creation in 1874. The proposal was submitted by Shri Anand Mohan Narula, a member of the Indian delegation. The UPU was the start of global communications revolution, allowing people could write to others all over the world.
The purpose of World Post Day is to bring awareness to the Post’s role in the everyday lives of people and businesses, as well as its contribution to global social and economic development. The UPU’s member countries are encouraged to organize their own national activities to celebrate the event, including everything from the introduction or promotion of new postal products and services, to the organization of open days at post offices, mail centers and postal museums.
The UPU helps facilitate awareness with its World Post Day by designing and distributing posters for display across the globe. In 2016, the UPU launched a new poster for the 2016–2018 period. The poster design embodies the UPU’s three strategic pillars: innovation, integration and inclusion.
The crisscrossed arms and layered colors of the emblem in the poster shows the integration of knowledge and processes, enabling seamless and affordable services for all. The intertwined design was inspired by the Celtic knot, which itself has Persian roots. Finally, the clasped hands represent how the Post connects and includes people around the world.