April is card and letter month

Philatelic Foreword by Jay Bigalke

In 2001, the United States Postal Service declared April to be National Card and Letter Writing Month.

“Expanding the traditional weeklong celebration to a month gives the Postal Service more opportunities to increase the awareness of the importance of card and lettering writing,” the Postal Service said in a media kit published in the March 22, 2001, Postal Bulletin.

The tradition continues this year, and the Postal Service is working with Scholastic Corp. on a program for third- and fourth-graders. Details can be found online at www.scholastic.com/letterwriting.

The website gives information on how to address and prepare a letter for mailing. Three templates that can be downloaded and printed include a design for a card and a page for an envelope. The cards and envelopes can be cut out and put together for use.

Pictured above is one of the greeting card designs showing a cartoon mailbox.

Lesson plans are provided on the website covering the subjects of letters to elders; letters across the distance; and letters of encouragement, admiration, celebration and gratitude.

At the bottom of the website is this important reminder: “Don’t forget to get stamps for your letters!” Pictured with the reminder is the 2018 Scooby-Doo forever stamp (5299).

I don’t think the choice of that stamp was a coincidence. The Postal Service has a Scooby-Doo stationery kit for sale on its website https://store.usps.com. The kit comes with 12 pieces of stationery, a pane of 12 stamps and a set of stickers to seal the envelopes. The kit sells for $21.95 and is item No. 565526. Other stationery kits are also available.

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