Pen Pal Day Date in the current year: June 1, 2024

Pen pals, also spelled as pen-pals or penpals, are people who regularly write to each other as a hobby, particularly via traditional mail, although corresponding via email also counts. More often than not, pen pals are strangers whose relationship is based solely or at least primarily on their exchange in letters and who have never met in person.

People have exchanged letters for centuries because for a long time, it was the primary means of long-distance communication. However, the trend of corresponding with strangers as a hobby didn’t start until the 1930s. The first society that helped people find suitable pen pals was the Student Letter Exchange, founded by a teacher from the United States in 1936. Today, people can find pen pals through various clubs, special interest groups, and online communities on sites like Facebook and Reddit that help connect like-minded individuals from around the world.

People usually get pen pals to improve their foreign language skills, learn more about different cultures and countries, and make friends. While the emergence and expansion of the World Wide Web has reduced the number of pen pals who correspond via traditional mail, there still are a lot of people who like to exchange traditional letters because they feel more personal.

There are many benefits to having pen pals from different countries. Exchanging letters with other people helps to broaden your worldview and improve your writing skills, gives you a break from technology, provides an opportunity to hone your foreign language skills if your pen pal speaks another language, and promotes delayed gratification.

Pen Pal Day, also known as National Pen Pal Day, was created by Rosie Tholl, an American woman who not only enjoyed corresponding with her pen pals but also traveled the world extensively to meet some of them. Tholl also founded the Illinois Pen Pal Picnic Reunion and co-founded Pen Pels United, a biannual worldwide pen-pal convention.

There are many ways to celebrate Pen Pal Day. If you already have pen pals, this is the perfect day to remind them just how special they are – of course, by writing them a letter! To make this letter really special, you can learn calligraphy, use customized or handmade stationery, or buy special postage stamps. And don’t forget to post about the holiday on social media with the hashtags #NationalPenPalDay and PenPalDay!

If you don’t have a pen pal, celebrate Pen Pal Day by finding one. There are many websites that help people find pen pals online. If you prefer postcards to letters, check out the Postcrossing project that was created for its members to exchange postcards with random people from all other the world. Although official postcard exchange between the two members occur only once, you can continue exchanging postcards with someone unofficially and become pen pals.