We’re in countdown mode for World Postcard Day around here, and the excitement for the big day is growing! This year, October 1st falls on a Sunday, which is perfect as many people don’t work on the weekend — that means more time to celebrate postcards!
With a little less than 2 weeks until World Postcard Day, it’s time to gather your postcards, check your address book, and make sure your favorite pen is inked and writing smoothly. This year’s theme is Postal Hugs, so take a moment to think of the loved ones you wish to reach out to, the friends you miss, or those you might want to send a bear hug to. Whether it’s your neighbors, a cherished teacher, the brave firefighters, or other people in your area who might have faced a challenge this year, send them a token of your appreciation and love. Save one for your local media outlet too, so you can tell them about this nice day! Got more ideas on who to send postcards to? Share in the comments! We’d love to hear them and get inspiration from you.
Like we mentioned in the stats email and on the forum, this year we’re going to set a maximum limit of 10 postcards for each postcrosser to send out on October 1st. If you only have a couple of slots available, you’ll be able to send a couple of postcards. If you have 5, you can request 5 addresses. But if you have 10 or more slots available, you’ll only be able to send 10 postcards on October 1st. While having people sending lots of postcards on the site and hitting records is always fun, it also puts a lot of pressure on Postcrossing: at some point, there just aren’t any more addresses to select. We came very close to that point last year, and this year we fear the problem will be made more complicated by the fact that World Postcard Day falls on a Sunday, a day when usually there is no mail delivery in most countries (and thus, even fewer addresses get thrown in the selection pool). So hopefully this limit will ensure that everything will go smoothly for everyone. Remember that you do need to send one postcard on Postcrossing during World Postcard Day (in your own timezone or during UTC — both work) in order to get the special badge on your profile, once it is registered.
As in previous years, local meetups, special postmarks and other events are on the horizon. To find out more about what’s happening in your area, check out the World Postcard Day events page. If you have young ones around, consider introducing them to the wonderful world of postcards: organize a mini-postcard workshop to teach them about the postal system, and then enjoy a short walk to your local mailbox together. Make sure to capture the moment with a photo and share it with us all! Or, if you have a talent for handicrafts, you can try to make something World Postcard Day-themed… like Jo (aka JustJo) who made this amazing postbox topper for her street! 😍
And last but not least, remember that the traditional meal for World Postcard Day is ravioli — they resemble little postage stamps! You might want to grab (or make!) some ahead of October 1st, so that you’re prepared and can celebrate the day with an extra dose of yumminess.
We wish you a brilliant World Postcard Day filled with joy, connections, and, of course, postcards! Let’s make it memorable and spread as many smiles as we can. And don’t forget to give your wrists a little break and a stretch now and then! 💪 💌 🌍
97 comments so far
Just to plan ahead - is there going to be a limit every year going forward?
Maybe...? We haven't planned that far ahead, I confess. 😅 Let's see how things go this year — we usually do a wrap-up post after the event, so I guess by then we should have a better idea and will let everyone know!
Thank you, Paolo and Ana, for still being there, doing your amazing things, keeping this incredible global community together!
Thank you to all the volunteers at Postcrossing who support the work of Admin, who keep us on track, who guide us, who know how to help us solve problems.
Wow! Jo (aka JustJo), what a FABULOUS way to celebrate WPD with your community, via messaging on the mailbox. So creative and beautiful!
And thanks to all members of this fabulous community who every day send postal hugs around our fragile planet.
I hope every Postcrosser gets at least one postal hug from this day!
Stay tuned Paolo and Ana! I hope others also have the same idea as me to stuff your mailbox with postal hugs a la World Postcard Day.
In Singapore, we are ready for the Big Day....n For the Big Hug......
Gonna send the Maximum 10 cards......will make preparation for that.
Cheers.......let's get it going PostCrossers......n enjoy PostCrossing.....
Just a note: you say "(in our own timezone…" but I think you mean "YOUR" own timezone, right?
Waiting for World Postcard Day to send some cards after a long break and spread some love and hugs ❤️✉️📬 I wish everyone can have a lot of fun!!!
@boyd: Ah, good catch! Fixed, thank you!
I’ve 11 slots available today. I’ve thought about sending 5, because I’ll attend a meet up on the 13th and I don't know if they’ll arrive before that day and free up some slots for me. It would be a catastrophe not to have tracks to send on the day of the meet up! With 5 postcards I send I’ll be sure to get my third WPD badge, and it’s still possible that more postcards will arrive than I have traveling. Happy WPD
I ordered a batch of postcards (EBay design file [PDF] to Zazzle - turned out excellent!)
Five slots are set aside for names pulled on 1 October '23 to (hopefully) earn the icon. The bulk are being sent to friends to arrive close to 1/10 and a few are being mailed to names I've pulled recently that have a good shot of arriving really close to the date.
All in all it's been fun!
Aww I'm looking forward to it! Already ordered the world Postcard Day postcards and stamps. This is going to be so fun! :)
Sounds like a good plan.
I will be sending 3.
I was a bit disappointed at first after the limit was announced since I took a big break till all my slots get empty , even ordered some different stamps that usually is hard to find around my place since it wasn't possible to find a place where they will print the postcard for me ( only wonder if I print it on much hard paper something like cardboard if this will count as a postcard !? if someone knows will be nice to hear back :) ) or rather not risk it but now reading your article it does make sense since at the end this year there won't be enough addresses . Anyhow thank you and Happy World Postcard Day
I have sent some already so maybe they maybe arrive on WPD (or the day after since its a sunday)
We'll be able to send 10 postcards through Postcrossing, but we can still send thousands of cards to other people :-)
Below there are many websites which will give you the address of people who need them!
https://yourstruly.cards/
http://www.postpals.co.uk/
https://www.anyrefugee.org/
https://www.moreloveletters.com/the-letter-requests
Oh how wonderful, it's my birthday on October 1st. Now I will never forget to send a postcard on October 1st!
I jumped the gun and sent a bunch out early from the US. Things take so long sometimes to other countries, but even my US friends got them REALLY EARLY. I was too excited!
Ready, willing and able… I could Hug you all for making this past year an absolute delight. Notwithstanding all the peeps behind the mailboxes who manage to keep this community moving…
I remain deliciously happy
Looking forward to sending out my 10 on the day itself and have already sent a few out this week 😁🌎🌍🎉🎉
This is such a great idea to set a limit of 10. I am happy with this. :D I have plenty of friends and family to spoil. Let's share the postal hugs and the fun. Great work postcrossing team. :D
Looking forward for WPD! Cool that some balance is ensured such way everyone is going to be attended!
We have the entire year to send tons of official postcards and slos unoffical ones!
Of course we are ready... countdown to the Meetup in Barcelona, yay!!
I think the limit is an excellent idea. I was in the "couldn't get on the site" group last year & it was frustrating. I did finally get on, but this will help I'm sure.
That you to everyone who works so hard to keep us all Postcrossing each day!
Blessings.
My 7 slots are all traveling! Keeping fingers crossed that most of them will arrive by end of Sept so I can request addresses on Oct 1st! Will I receive the badge even if I send just one postcard on 10/1, or does It have to be more? Thank you.
OMG I can’t sending any postcards on that big day! Because all the postcards are traveling right now, I can’t request more addresses:((
I can't wait for the World Postcards Day ^__^
Will we receive a badge on our profile if we send postcards on this day?
I'm relieved that there will be a limit this year. The last few Oct 1sts I've done a marathon writing session that took all day. At least in 2023 I'll be able to do something else as well! Thanks for the heads up.
so I guess that almost no cards will be postmarked on October 1 because it is a Sunday... BUT... this does mean that I can send out my cards with the new Ruth Bader Ginsberg stamps being released on October 2nd. I'm gonna pair those RBGs with the John Lewis. My friend was telling me that the PO in Pakistan and China were open on Sunday. No they are not.
New here, but genuinely confused why people are upset by this limit. Let’s say you have 50 slots open, but now you can only send 10 cards on Oct 1. Could you not just pull 20 addresses on Sept 30, 10 addresses on Oct 1, and 20 addresses on Oct 2? You’ll still get the badge for having pulled on Oct 1. You’ll still be mailing out all 50 of the cards on Oct 2 anyway? (I guess in some areas of the world you could mail the Saturday ones on the Saturday, but not everywhere…) The limit allows more people in the community to access the system and participate which I would think is one of the goals of postcrossing? More community? More participation? Is there some special badge people got in past years for sending an enormous amount on the exact date or something? I’m just curious what I’m misunderstanding about this because to me this presents as a good thing.
Super excited for WPD! We're planning on sending at least one that day. :)
I'm VERY excited since it's gonna be my first WPD here hehehe! I'm so thankful for being a member in this awesome community. Hope that I can send out MANY MANY MANY postcards to all of you in the future!~
I think the limit is a wonderful idea! That way everyone can participate in the activity and get the badge. :) Happy Postcrossing!
I am so glad and excited to get my 4th WPD badge very soon and I am ready for a batch of cards to send out on the day!
In my oppinion you get more from quality than quantity anyway . Well done setting a boundary.
The post office is closed on Sundays. So my cards won't be postmarked on October 1st but October 2nd. Will I still get my badge?
@mapickle54 you only have to pick an adress this day 😃👍🏼
@joeonn if you pick an adress on this day
For all users who are disappointed. I will only pick one adress 😃😂
" Postcrossing during World Postcard Day (in your own timezone or during UTC — both work) in order to get the special badge on your profile, once it is registered. "
It is very good that Postcrossing will follow local time again this year ( last year seemed not at first, but then it worked :-) ).
I already bought some (group) postcards and am leaving some slots free for the 1
Last year, my adress was not withdraw on oct 1, or maybe the postcard never reach me?! Hopefully this year I will get one!
'In you timezone or during UTC.'
In what time can I pull an adress? It is not clear for me.
Saturday night 23.00 ? Or until monday 01.00 ? I don't know how this works with our summertime. Can anybody help me?
@AnnekevanDorp, our timezone is from 0:00 to 24:00, but do to summertime indeed, you best start pulling addresses after 2:00 AM just to be sure. Last year, it was even later, because of some mysterious reason, but early morning will be just as fine too! Succes!
OOhhhhh.... I am one of those sillies that had prepared a bit more than 10 (my own design) cards for WPD already...... I guess I will start sending them in advance now, so they will arrive 'in time'! :)
Because I understand the stress on the algorithm, I have inactivated my account several weeks ago to open it up again on WPD itself, so what I send out, can also be sent by others, but to be clear:
I'm completely PRO limit.
Happy WPD everybody!
Hi Postcrossers, to cheer up the World Postcard Day, there are free designs of 2023 postal hug you may download and print them out to send:
https://ko-fi.com/christinaandeng
The series features different countries' mailboxes.
@Kah_Yang.....those designs are super cute! I hope I received some of your designs on WPD!
@Kah_Yang thank you for the cute designs. I love them!
Looking forward for WPD! Brazil will have several Meetups to celebrate the day!
I'm still hosting my giveaway of official WPD postcards for anyone interested who hasn't filled out my form (link on my profile). I still have about 40 slots available for an attempt to send more than 200 this year.
I save all my slots- but now I’m happy to send all cards until 10 slots are only open- I think the limit is a great Idea- thank you so much paolo and ana
@myravern as long as you pick at least one address on Oct 1st (your time) you will get the badge - one is the magic number, but if you want to do up to 10 you can! Have fun!
I'm glad, so now I can go inactive without feeling guilty that I'm taking my address out of the pool :D (I dislike "days of" and big celebrations and having to do something on a certain day etc etc)
We could do a postcard week instead of a single postcard day. A week of charity than we had mehr slots? 10 is now impractical because friends and I had 100 printed together and divided the cards between us to write them. We won't be printing any more next year. Small numbers of cards become too expensive to print at a professional print shop. I now only choose an address on October 1st. and the others as they come days later or befor. Sorry for my bad english, translated with google.
Here is to hoping at least one of the travelling cards gets delivered before that!
I CAN'T WAIT.......
so we'll need more users each completely using their 10 cards slot instead of fewer users sending out many more...
Can someone explain to me why I was able to download the official card of the World Postcard Day Contest 2023 winner from Chloe Lim (Singapore) last month and now it's suddenly a different card with the winner Lisa Saptura (Indonesia)?
I had the other person print extra cards.
Will there be a Postcrossing badge? 😍
I wish I had known about the limit of 10 cards BEFORE I ordered my World Postcard Day cards! Sigh. I have nearly 40 on the way with the intent to send 25 (27 if my traveling cards arrive this week) with the rest going to close friends/family.
I totally understand not wanting to crash your servers but 10 seems like and awfully low number. Depending how things go this year, maybe you can reconsider this for 2024. One other suggestion, if you DO opt to impose limits again next year, maybe put it out there a bit sooner since many of us order special cards in advance.
In any case, I do look forward to taking part in WPD again this year and I also appreciate the work the Postcrossing team puts in for this, and everything else throughout the year.
@Alahra The first design was unfortunatelly recalled because it broke the rules of the design contest. You can read more about it in blog posts from August 10th and August 15th
@Alahra - the original WPD winning design was pulled when it was discovered the artwork was not original.
I'm so excited for WPD. I'm leaving one space open so I can select an ID that day and mail it. In the meantime, I've just written a bunch of postcards using the Postrcrossing WPD design and another card from PaperSisters. I've ordered too many, but plan to keep sending the Postrcossing WPD even after 1 October.
I'm going to my first meet-up on 1 October. It will be great fun to see other postcrossers. The organizer has made a special card for our event. I look forward to sending these out as well.
Cheers and have fun, everyone!
P.S. Yesterday I received my first WPD 2023 postcard! :-)
This is my first time to participate in this activity, and I am looking forward to WPD.
Can’t wait to send my 10
I may be wrong, but there is a special printable design available for this holiday. I couldn't find a link to it, could you direct me?
Paolo & Ana, Thank you, from Romania - Brasov also, for still being there, doing your amazing things, and keeping this incredible global community together!
#Kudos dear creators!
Happy Postcrossing & Happy #WPD2023 in advance!
How do I get the addresses? This is my first time
If you have no slots available, are you still able to send one?
Maailman Postikortin päivää odotellessa satuin tällekin palstalle. Meillä on tulossa Varkauteen kiva tapaaminen, jonne tulee musta & pehmoinen, nelijalkainen alpakkavieras Sulo. Alpakka on tatsin (oma) ja siis ihka elävä.
Mahtavia juhlia ympäri maailman 1.10.2023!
tatsi
I've yet my cards, the special ones, and stamps of course! I will send one to my postman as in the last years!!
Hi guys. First time I am going to be the part of such activity. Can you help me with information how things works in this day? How can I choose my friends addresses if it's usually random? Does this people have to be the part of community?
As Museum Kumbaram, we will have our second Ankara meeting and this time there will be special moments where we will celebrate the centennial of our republic with the Ankara Kumbaram exhibition.
I'm really looking forward to WPD, it's one of my favorite days of the year. Let's see if next year I can have these commemorating WPD
We send postcards to family, friends, neighbors and celebrate this special day together. Thanks to those who make it possible. Maria
there are free designs of 2023 postal hug in this websit, If someone is willing to send me a postcard of their own country on this website, please send me a message, and I will also send you Chinese postal hug postcard here (or other postcard you want)
⬇️
https://ko-fi.com/christinaandeng
Every year I am eagerly expecting the World Post card.No words to explain my joy and happiness while sending and receiving postcards. Happy postcrossing.
Suddenly i realize that there is no slot available for the BIG day. Posts from China are usually slow though.
The good news is that next year World Postcard Day is a weekday so we can get the postal stamp on 01 Oct! (as long as the post office collects the mail on time and processes it :)
I currently have all my 11 cards shown as travelling. So no slots are technically available as of now. So does this mean if my travelling cards get registered in the coming days I should wait till Oct 1st to request a new address?
I have a suggestion. An additional slot can be opened for those who cannot attend without a slot so that they can attend the event
How I can send postcard in 1 October? Where I can take addresses! I'm new in the day. Please, tell me! I want to send!
Thank you very much for the reminder!
Among the many daily tasks, we often forget the anniversaries that are a good thing to remember, and this is truly a date to celebrate!
I will certainly request addresses to send my postcards on October 1st, and then be able to receive the special "World Postcard Day" badge on my profile...
A hug to everyone from Rome, Italy
I'm so excited for this!!
I've been a member for just a month and I'm very excited to get my badge in a few days. This time I will only be able to send one duet o the fact that 3 postcards that I sent are taking way too long to arrive.
Oh, World Postcard Day, I'm buzzing for this special day.
I missed this day in the past two years, but this year I am ready to send postcards.
I like sending postcards. This is a very meaningful activity to enjoy life.I will tell my friends to take part in together.
Thanks Postcrossing for organizing this event!
Just enjoy postcards and happy postcrossing! : )
I joined Postcrossing last November, so I'm excited to experience my first World Postcard Day! Thank you Paolo and Ana for all the work you do to make this fun for Postcrossers!
Hi Postcrossers! I'm really excited - it's the first time for me and I am ready to push the buttton for a new adress in order to send the special postcard tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder and the organizing! Have fun! Whopper
Bucharest is counting too! And we will have a postcrossing meeting.. Hurray! :)
Ok so it’s several hours into the 1 Oct here in Australia yet when I clicked to send a postcard, it’s showing up as 30 Sept.. I thought it automatically registered our own time zones?! I have other postcards I can send, I’ll try later in the day, but just puzzled..? 😕
When I lived in DC, there were two post offices open on Sundays: the post office located the basement of The Smithsonian Postal Museum and the post office at Merrifield (Virginia). But I have no idea if either is able or willing to hand cancel on October 1st.
I requested all my postcards but it showed Sep. 30, why this is happened?
Happy World Postcard Day!
And to respond to people asking about the date in your stats: Postcrossing registers all dates for the stats in UTC (Portugal/UK time).
However, to receive a WPD-badge you can request a postcard during 1 October in your own time zone AND during 1 October UTC. As long as a card is registered that was sent in one of those time windows it will be fine.
So even if the stats say 30 september, they still will count.
@Petre, Thank you for your explanation, that makes sense, I requested all my postcards when the time was coming, from 00:00 to 01:00, I can't wait and it showed Sep.30! I'm glad they all count!
🎉 Happy World Postcard Day 2023 🎉 to everyone ! Have fun 😀.
I'm so disappointed to only find out today that there is a limit of cards for WPD. I have not been sending many postcards recently in preparation for today and have designed and printed 50 postcards to use and now they're useless.
For me: every day is World Postcard Day. I am so happy that I can send and receive cards to Postcrossers in the whole World. Love and Greetings, Maud Lorrier
First time participation in the WPD..sounds fun!
Hello
Can you help me how to activate the 10 postcard limit? I am struggling to request new address. My limit now is 5 and all five is travelling now. Thanks for helping in advance.
Wish you a nice Sunday!
Dori
Happy world postcard day!!!!!
I’m so disappointed! I didn’t know you had to pull an address THAT DAY to actually get your badge. I only just get one address at a time right now anyway, since I’m so new. I bought and sent WPCD cards though. Golly!! Learning curve, but now I have to wait an entire year to try again. ☹️
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