While the origins of international letter writing day are widely unknown, it isn’t a holiday to skip. Letter writing has been around for thousands of years and was the first form of communication between Kingdoms separated by distance. In fact, it is believed that the first ever handwritten letter was sent by a Persian Queen in 500 BC. Since then letters have been sent for business deals, personal matters, greetings, introductions, and/or etc.
The truth is there are many reasons to write a letter, and for thousands of years, that was the only form of communication. In fact, before paper, people wrote letters on whatever material they could find or afford, such as metal, wood, or animal skins. But as technology has grown, letter writing has declined. While still prevalent, not as many people understand the joys of writing a letter. So join us to find the joy in letter writing again.
1. The Stationary
While it may not seem like a big deal, choosing the stationary for a letter is an important aspect of letter writing. Why you may ask? Because handpicking the stationary, or even making it if you’re into DIY crafts, shows the letter recipient that you choose the stationary (or made it) with that recipient in mind. It shows that you care.
You put an effort into choosing stationery that isn’t available when sending a text or email. So while it may seem like a small detail, it really isn’t in the grand scheme of things.
2. Handwritten vs. Typed
In today’s age of technology, it is more common to type a letter than it is to write one. But a handwritten letter is more personal in so many ways. To start by handwriting your letter, you’re showing the recipient that you cared enough to take the time to personalize the letter. You show this personalization in your unique way of handwriting, whether you dot your i’s with hearts or make a perfect circle. Or when you curl your y’s, this is your personality coming through in your handwriting and it makes your letter more personal and therefore more special to the recipient.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with typing your letters either, and there are ways to make a typed letter more personal. Personalizing a typed letter could be shown in the font format or emphasized in italics or bold. But as a romantic at heart, I prefer a handwritten. But ultimately the choice is yours, but know that most of the older generations (like your grandparents) if you choose to write them, prefer handwritten letters because of the personalization. I know my grandma enjoyed it when I wrote her letters.
3. Business Letters
In the business industry, we write letters all the time, even if it doesn’t seem like we do. After all, what else is an email but an electronic letter? If you’re new to the workforce/ business industry or you’re someone struggling in general with the correct formatting, I suggest buying a guidebook on writing letters. A guidebook is a great tool to have on hand for reference with any business letter or email that can easily help you present yourself in the best way.
Whether you’re writing a business letter or a personal letter, remember that all letters show your personality. It’s how you write the letter that shows either the business personality or the personal personality you have. And given that letters as the first form of communication have been around for thousands of years, it is safe to say that there is no wrong way to write a letter. There is only finding the words to express yourself and your personality. To discover more facts about the history of letter writing, click here.
To read more writing tips, click here!