Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for: it is exactly 150 years since the first postcard was sent!
As the very first postcard was being sent on October 1st 1869 in Austria-Hungary, few people could anticipate the mail revolution that would ensue, or just how long postcards would last. One hundred and fifty years later, we’re still just as happy to discover a bit of sunshine on our mailbox at the end of the day, or to send a smile to loved ones or strangers far away. It’s inexplicably charming how something so simple can bring so much joy. 😊
Earlier this year, when we noticed there didn’t seem to be that many activities planned to commemorate the anniversary, we decided to take matters into our own hands and use the power of the Postcrossing community to celebrate this historical milestone. We’ve contacted postal operators and postal museums, and also invited you guys and the whole world to join the party by creating events and spreading the word about this anniversary. The response was just amazing! Over one hundred events are taking place in 34 different countries, including 58 meetups, 11 exhibitions, 8 cancellation marks, 8 workshops, 6 seminars, 4 commemorative postcards issued by post offices, 3 guided tours, 2 postage stamps about the anniversary and even one country offering free postage on postcards sent today. Hurray!
We’ve also invited everyone to participate on a postcard exhibition at the Universal Postal Union headquarters in Bern and hundreds of you have sent postcards and expressed your love for the medium in creative forms. We teared up going through all these small tokens of love, and it was a real struggle to pick the 200 or so that we ended up bringing with us, as they were all incredible. So many of you have written about connection and healing, about traveling and learning, about conquering fears, making discoveries, teaching little ones and making the world a smaller place. They were all messages of hope and appreciation, and it was our huge honor to carry your words with us to the UPU and hang them on this 10 meter wall.
All throughout October, postal delegates from all countries in the United Nations will walk this lobby and browse these postcards. They too, will realize how much we all treasure these little pieces of paper that travel the world in our stead. We’re so proud of each and every one of you, for your enthusiastic participation and creativity — this would not have happened without you!
We plan to show you more of the exhibition later, but for now, it’s time to celebrate! Join a local event if you can, or just take the time to write a postcard (or 10!) to someone you care about to spread the happy vibes.
And last but not least, happy birthday dear postcards!!! 🎉
58 comments so far
Yes, Happy 150th Birthday, Postcards. October 1 is definitely a red letter day...perfect (as any day) for sending postcards. What a beautiful display -- thank you, Postcrossing Team for representing all of us at this wonderful exhibition.
It is so wonderful that we (the postcrossing community) are a small part of this history.
I'm now travelling through Japan and I'm sending postcards to my home so I can find these wonderful little souvenirs on my doormat when I get home. It's like sending precious memories and postcards make that possible.
Happy 150th Anniversary!
So wonderful to know that 150 years later postcards are circling the world! Congratulations Postcrossing!!! Congratulations 🎉
Happy birthday, postcard! Today postcrossers of Belgorod, Russia meet. They will celebrate and sign special cards.
С днем рождения, почтовая открытка! Сегодня встречаются посткроссеры города Белгород, Россия. Они будут праздновать и подпишут специальные открытки.
Buon compleanno, cartolina! Oggi ci sono postcrossers della città di Belgorod, Russia. Festeggeranno e firmeranno cartoline speciali.
生日快乐，明信片！ 今天，俄罗斯别尔哥罗德的邮递员见面。 他们将庆祝并签署特别卡。
Alles gute zum Geburtstag, Postkarte! Heute treffen sich die postcrosser der Stadt Belgorod, Russland. Sie werden Feiern und spezielle Postkarten Unterschreiben.
Congratulations to all of us on our 150th anniversary!
Happy Birthday Postcards! It is great to play a small part in this special event.
Congratulations, that exhibition looks amazing. Must have taken lots of brain power to develop a concept for the exhibition. It's been worth all the effort - the results are impressive.
Thanks for sharing it here.
And congratulations - let's all celebrate 150 years of postcards :)
Let's spread the word, so it will continue being an attractive way to communicate for everyone!
Great day for each of us!🤩 Congratulations!!!
Happy postcards anniversary !
And happy Postcrossing to all
Happy Birthday to postcards ! And what a great to send some ! :)
Happy 150th anniversary. Thanks postcrossing for make it on today
It's nice to be part of this very nice way to share life.
I really enjoy reading this information. It´s a wonderful story. Happy anniversary!
What a Day to celebrante!
This exhibition is a proof we are not alone in world and People share these wonderful feelings.
Looking forward to our special Event on weekend. 😍
<3<3<3
Happy Birthday Postcard!
It's so wonderful that you exist. I wish you many more successful and happy years.
All the best, Cawe
Happy Birthday to Postcards and to everyone that are keeping them alive!!!! Happy Birthday to Postcrossing too cause it's the major Ambassador of Postcards!!!
Happy 150th anniversary and may this celebration serve to expand this beautiful idea of writing postcards throughout the world
Happy 150th years of postcards anniversary to all postcrossers. Thank you so much for filling up our mailboxes with beautiful postcards all over the world.
Happy Birthday to 150 years of Poscards Hurray!!! Happy Birthday also to all Postcrossers around the Globe many years to come hopefully another 150 years!!!
Yes, today is the day: Happy 150th Birthday, Postcards!
Hurray!!!!!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Happy 150th birthday, postcards!!!
Happy 150th postcards! I'm sending out my max of 10 cards around the world today with that message!
What a great goal!! Happy Birthday!
I had no idea the years of postcarding...and goodwill that has been and continues to flow around the world... happy to be a part of it for several years myself.. Blessing to Everyone every where.
Thank you Postcard! I love you and wish you all the best for many years to come. * Hiep Hiep Hoera!*
Congrats to all!
Happy birthday, postcards! 🎉
Happy 150th birthday to postcards and happy 14th birthday to Postcrossing! I hope we can continue to send postcards to all over the world and connect to each other through our love of mail. A big fat thanks to paulo and meiadeleite for these awesome blog posts and to the PC ambassadors for spreading the word about this awesome program. Oh, and I can't forget all postcrossers who love mail and who enjoy postcrossing!! I love you all !!!!!
Happy Birthday, dear Postcard! Let's celebrate this unique community as well :-)
Happy 150 Years of Postcards to all of us who love these little cards!! Awesome job, Postcrossing, on the wonderful display celebrating the hobby of postcrossing that we love!
Happy birthday to postcards. Here's to many more.
Поздравляю всех нас, друзья=)
Happy Birthday, Postcards! 🎊 150th Anniversary!
I have my great-great grandmother's postcard collection, they must have been some of the earlier ones, I thought they had been around for a lot longer!
Happy 150 Years of Postcard.
hope my card is on the UPU wall too
Happy Birthday Postcards! Thank you for the joy you bring to people!
Happy 150th Birthday, Postcards!
omg Gr8! I hope there are loads and loads more years to come!
Happy 150th Birthday to Postcards! And thank you Postcrossing for making this happen 🎉
Happy birthday to postcards on its 150th birthday!
Congratulations Ana and Paulo. It's look amazing.
Portuguese Proud :)
Is it the exhibition open to the public ? I don't think so, it's a pity... :-/ I would have loved seeing all these postcards from all around the world. Bern isn't far from here...
@thibcabe Sadly no, as entrance to the building is restricted. But we hope to maybe take the exhibition to other places later, since we've received *so many* nice postcards :) We'll let everyone know if it happens!
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I'd love to see and read all the postcards on that wall, Please make them Digitally Available :) And a Happy 150th Anniversary of Postcards
I'M YELLING; SO EXCUSE ME; CAUSE I AM SO EXCITED. I ALWAYS GET EXCITED AT BIRTHDAY PARTIES; BUT THIS IS THE BIGGEST AND BESTEST ONE EVER; SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL WHO HAVE MADE THIS HAPPEN; HAPPY BIRTHDAY POSTCARDS AND THIS IS MY AVATAR OF DAFFY DUCK FROM NEW JERSEY U.S.A. SAYING WHAT HE SAYS BEST AND THANK YOU POSTCROSSING FOR LETTING US GET OUR MESSAGES ACROSS THE WORLD IN THE FORM OF A SIMPLE POSTCARD. FOREVER BarbieSoup
I second /foysalratul . Please show more of the postcards you received . We would love to read them
Yes, it would be great to see all the wonderful cards you get. I third foysalratul and his great idea. Meiadeleite, would that be a possibility?
Wow, I can see my postcard there and I'm happy that it was received *-*
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POSTCARDS!!!✨✨✨
Wonderful! I wish that I could see it in person.
yippee postcards hip hip hurray
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