World Letter Writing Day!
- Joey Paco
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Welcome back!
My last blog was different from the others. It was a Q&A blog. Remember what that means? Q = Questions and A = Answers. Easy, eh? Yep, I answered all your questions. Keep them coming. I enjoy reading and answering them. If you miss it, you can read it here.
September 1 is “World Letter Writing Day.” But before I tell you more about it, Iet me share some interesting facts about writing letters. The Oldest Letter was written by a Sumerian King in c.2500 BCE. Do you know what BCE means? I’ll tell you what Dad told me. BCE stands for Before Current Era. Other people also refer to it as Before Christ (BC). This letter was written in a clay stone. The Oldest Hand-Written Letter was written by the Persian Queen Atossa in 500 B.C. The Longest Handwritten Letter was written by Marcel Proust in 1913. It has 433,000 words! Uff, those are a lot of words. The first postage stamp, Penny Black, was released on May 6, 1840, in England. Do you know why it was called Penny Black? The stamp was printed in black ink and cost one penny. Then on June 30, 1941, it was printed in red ink and was called... yep, Penny Red. Ha, ha,ha. Writing Materials: People have used different types of materials for writing letters: clay tablets, wax-coated wooden tablets, stone tablets, plant leaves, tree bark, animal skin, and papyrus.
Now I will tell you how to write a letter. It is a little longer than a note. Remember when I lost my tooth and couldn’t find it? I wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy. If you miss it, you can read it here. Ok, back to writing a handwritten letter. Ops, I forgot to tell you, the Difference between writing a note and a letter. A note is a short message. A letter is longer and more structured. I have an idea, let's write a letter to a sick friend.
First, we need our writing materials. Let me get my Joey Paco Journal, my favourite pencil, a pencil sharpener, an eraser, and an envelope. Be sure the pencils are sharpened! You could also use crayons or coloured pencils to create something unique. (wink)
Second, let us write the letter.
a. Introduction: Say something positive.
b. Main Content: Talk about something exciting and funny, too. Mom says, laughing is good medicine.
c. Closing: End with some encouraging words.
| September 1, 2025 (1)
Dear Johnny (2)
I hope you are feeling better. (3a)
Yesterday we visited the zoo. It was hot and humid, and we sweated a lot. The weather made the Baboons crazy! They were yelling and running around chasing each other. We then went to see the Hawks show. It was awesome! One of them flew extremely low and slow. I thought it would take my Explorer’s Hat away. To cool down a little, we visited the Pirates’ Cave. There we saw Captain Sparrow walking around! I also saw some weird fish. (3b)
Mom said you are going home soon. Hurray, hurray! When you are back, we are going together to the zoo. (3c)
Your friend, (4)
Joey Paco (5) |
Third, let us decorate our letter. Make a drawing, colour it, add a sticker, and ... Be creative. Make it special for your friend.
Fourth, fold it neatly and place it inside an envelope. Remember to write your friend’s address on the front of the envelope. Don’t forget to add the stamp before mailing it!
I almost forgot the most important information: Who founded this day: Richard Simpkin. He is an Australian author, artist, and photographer. Why? He enjoys writing handwritten letters and wanted to honor it. Soooo in 2014, he created the World Letter Writing Day!
And talking about writing handwritten letters. I need to finish writing my letter to my Pen-Pal friend, Pedro. He lives in San Salvador. Do you know what a Pen-Pal friend is? It is a “special friend” you write letters to. They usually live far away: a different state, country, or continent. Our Spanish teacher found a school in San Salvador where the children are learning English. We write letters to them in Spanish, and they write to us in English. It is a fun way to practice our handwriting, the language, and learn new things from each other. At the end of the year, we will make a Zoom call to meet them.
Do you have a special project at school, too? Share it with me. Send me a message using our Contact Form. Be sure to first ask your parents for permission. Better still, write the message together with your parents. I enjoy reading and answering my messages.
Gotta run now, it is time for basketball practice! My next blog will be in German.
Remember to brush your teeth and keep them clean for the Tooth Fairy.
Joey Paco
