Neither Snow Nor Rain Day

While this is not an official motto or creed, this concept of being unstoppable, derived from a poem by Charles W. Elliot, has been associated with the United States Postal Service (USPS) for many decades.

This is the time to celebrate Neither Snow Nor Rain Day, in honor of postal workers all over the nation!

History of Neither Snow Nor Rain Day

The USPS can trace its roots all the way back to 1775 when Benjamin Franklin approved the first postmaster general – even before the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the United States.

While many people recognize the “neither snow nor rain” quote, most don’t realize where it came from. Dr. Charles W. Elliot, wrote his poem titled “The Letter” after he was president of Harvard University for more than 40 years in the late 1800s until 1909.

Even then, however, the poem was not an original idea. In fact, it was adopted from a passage in a translation of Herodotus’ Histories by George Herbert Palmer, which was written in reference to a courier service provided throughout the ancient Persian Empire, which lasted from around 500 BC to 300 BC.

Though perhaps not carrying the same types of motivation as couriers from the Persian Empire, US Postal Workers have been delivering letters, postcards, publications and packages to houses and businesses across the nation for around 250 years. And that’s no small feat!

Neither Snow Nor Rain Day is the time to pay a bit of respect and honor to the local mail carrier or postal worker, giving them some special attention on this momentous occasion!

How to Celebrate Neither Snow Nor Rain Day

Looking for ideas to celebrate Neither Snow Nor Rain Day? Get started with some of these:

Thank a Postal Worker

Whether leaving a note on the mailbox for the postal worker to see, or saying thank you in person when dropping off a package at the post office, Neither Snow Nor Rain Day is the ideal time to show some appreciation and say a simple “thank you”. Perhaps it would even be fun to bake them a plate of cookies or thank them in another tangible way!

Watch Some On-Screen Postal Carriers

Over the years, on television and in films, many mail carriers and postal workers have been depicted, often with a comedic bent. Check out some of these classic television shows that offer a bit of entertainment with characters who are postal workers or package handlers:

• Cliff Clavin from Cheers (1982-1993). Known more for sitting around at a bar than actually working, Cliff is a bit of a know-it-all, but Cheers still wouldn’t be the same without him.
• Newman on Seinfeld (1992-1998). A friend of Kramer but the arch-nemesis of Jerry, Newman is always creating problems, whether related to the mail or not.
• Mr. Wilson from Dennis the Menace (1986-1988). Mr. Wilson is Dennis’ neighbor and a retired mailman in this classic animated tv series and, of course, Dennis is always driving him crazy!