The Handwriting Day is marked annually on every 23 January, the birthday of the legend of the day John Hancock. The craze, ease, and sense of belongingness make the celebration of handwriting day completely worth it. And why not, writing well from your own hands is not less than a skill that gives you joy about its every aspect.
Despite the fact that we are living in a digital world that is full of devices and type to text, however, it cannot change the significance of handwritten write-ups.
You write a letter, story, journal, or a to-do list, the handwritten notes never fail or fade, making you recall everything closely. Doesn’t matter the ambiguous style or slower pace of writing; The way it reminds you of the details of your thoughts, you appreciate even its cons.
There are many digital devices such as mobile, iPad, laptop, and a stop available to preserve your thoughts; still, they cannot overtake or overpower the pleasure of writing your notes on your own. There are many voice-to-text apps that type your stuff at your command or dictation, but you cannot deny the importance of this important skill of handwriting as it helps in improving your memory.
Thanks to John Hancock who had signed the declaration of independence which became so popular that his name itself became another term for the official autograph called I am – ‘signature’.
What is Writing?
Writing is a virtual expression that relies on a particular system. It can be seen as an unambiguous and clearer medium of recording and communicating information.
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Date of Handwriting Day Observance
23rd of January.
History of Handwriting Day
Although we do not have the strong proof to prove the exact origins of handwriting,, yet it is believed that writing emerged as an important tool in several regions from Mysore America to India, Mesopotamia, and China during 3400 BC.
The earlier societies used to use the handwriting skills in:
- Keeping the records
- Counting the items
- Maintaining the transactions
- Passing on the information
- Storing data for future users.
Writing on the Ancient Clay Tablets
Ancient Sumerians give a glimpse of the oldest writing pieces that were the cuneiform symbols carved on the clay tablets. It is observed seen as the earliest known writing that belongs to the era of 3400 to 3100 BC.
The earliest writings related glimpses can be found in Iraq. There exist some pictorial signs that further led to the complex system of characters. It was developed as per cuneiform, the Sumerian language’s sounds.
The Adoption of Phoenician Alphabet
During the eighth century BC, the Phoenician alphabet gained popularity and created the way for the development of Greek lettering. It further led to the adoption of the later Latin lettering.
Mass Publication through Printing Press
The year 1450 brought a revolutionizing invention of the printing press which was credited to Johannes Gutenberg. This new breeze introduced the mass publication of writing and lifted up the ease of communication to new levels.
Handwriting Day Came into Existence
The Handwriting Day was first popularised by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association in 1977. They promoted the 23rd of January as a day to re-explore the significance, purity, benefits, and power of writing from your own hands.
Handwriting Day Celebration: How to Celebrate the Handwriting Day?
Spare Time for a Journal
Record your aspirations, everyday happenings, experiences, and anything that inspires you in a daily handwritten journal.
It will affect you in the following way positively positive ways:
If you will write something positive, inspiring, motivational, and good experiences, it will work as an asset to use when your mood is low. You can revisit them and get your spark back.If you get a bad experience, then too, writing it down will empty your mind. It will give you peace and relaxation by drawing it from your mind to paper.
Don’t forget to add how you overcame your situation. You can use it as a reference for future events. It will remind you that you have got immense strength that is needed to overcome a bad experience or memory. When you will face the same kind of situation again in the future, you will be sure in yourself that you can emerge as a winner because you have found victory over it once in the past.
Maintain a Diary
As we know the benefits of writing, how about giving a hand to a diary? You can use it to store any type of text such as the content in:
- To-do list
- Shopping list
- Grocery list
- Your wish for the year
- Your short-term and long-term plans
- A roadmap to your goals
- Reminders
- Important dates such as meetings, birthdays, and events
- Any quote that you like the most
- Your favorite verses
- Your achievements
The sky is the limit to how you use this small tool for shaping your life with more preciseness and productivity. You can make it your personal organizer and ensure your time management like never before.
Write a Letter for Your Beloved
You must have sent many online messages, emails, or plain text to your beloved one. Have you ever tried a letter, thank you or sorry card, or a greeting card, or simply a handwritten note?
Let your loved one have their most intimate position in the form of your handwritten expression. The person can be anyone — your mother, brother, sister, wife, grandparents, a friend, or the one whom you love the most.
Let them experience what is never before and also, let yourself be surprised by seeing that how a small piece of writing can spread ultimate joy and smiles around.
Learn Calligraphy
Earlier, when a student used to switch from a pencil to pen, the first choice used to be the ink pen for improving the handwriting. Gone are the days when people used to prefer an ink pen or fountain pen.
But this is the best day to explore a fountain pen and give it a try to create calligraphy art. If you have got no idea about it, you can take help from an online tutorial to learn calligraphy. If you find yourself more into it, you can also sign up for an online calligraphy class and learn it from scratch to pro.
Why is Handwriting Day Celebrated?
You Own Your Handwriting
It's a bliss to create content in your own handwriting as it gives a sense of belongingness. And what can be better than owning beautiful handwriting?!
However, even if you do not write perfectly or close to it, it's indeed better as no one can understand your private notes. Sometimes, having handwriting like those doctors who pen prescriptions in too ambiguous fonts is also fun.
Calligraphy is the Artwork
If you are searching for a decorative, a court or words written in calligraphy can be the best piece of decor for your sweet home's wall.
Even if you do not want to purchase it from any local calligraphy artist, you can make it your hobby, learn, and make a decorative for yourself to embellish your home from your own art.
Significance of Handwriting Day
Handwriting accomplishes many purposes and emerges as a useful tool for record-keeping, art, literature, correspondence, and utility. It helps in the following aspects:
Writing and Human Civilisation
If you think that writing has its importance only in day-to-day life, you need to enlarge your vision. Writing is something that draws lines between history and pre-history, differentiating them in an organized manner. It not only enlighten us about human civilization but also elevates it skillfully.
Utility
It is the most intimate, powerful, and memorable medium to communicate or express your:
- Opinions
- Emotions
- Ideas
- Thoughts
- Views.
Useful Tool in Progress and Development
Trading is one of the most important aspects of the development of any society or nation, indeed the world. When it comes to buying and selling at a large scale, there is no workflow or functioning that can be accomplished without using handwriting.
Even now when the offices are digitalized completely, there are many records that are taken by writing from hands.
Handwriting in Today’s Digital World
Although the use of electronic devices can be witnessed anywhere, indeed everywhere, yet the benefits of handwritten content can’t be ignored. There are many types of research works that prove the benefits of writing by hand which are not the same in case typing.
Using your hands for writing can:
- Improve the memory
- Enhance the focus
- Reduces stress
Anyone will agree that a handwritten note always has more weight than typed letters or emails.
You can yourself feel the difference by writing a letter, to-do list, or a note in your diary .own hands
Why People Follow Handwriting Day?
A Key for the Children
As per their studies and researches, those students who use their hands and write notes in their own handwriting, they:
- Find it easier to understand the concepts
- Remember better than the other students who choose to type.
Handwriting is a key for the students and a savior for those who struggle in memorizing things.
Handwriting Bridges the Gaps
Know the Mechanism
When someone thinks and only thinks, it makes a tangled cluster of thoughts in the mind.
Understand What Happens to the Mind
It consumes all the empty space in the mind, leaving no room for calm or relaxation. Before you untangle all the threads, it weaves more complexities.
Get Aware of the Results
Such a mechanism boosts overthinking, anxiety, and ultimately the stress.
Realize What Handwriting Does
When we choose to write, handwriting pushes us towards slowing down the mechanism of our brains. It pushes the pace of our minds to the speed of our pen. You tend to get more time for thinking which helps in getting rid of the mess in the mind.
The Bottomline
Handwriting does help. It’s indeed a natural therapy with no side effects.
Facts about Handwriting Day
Handwriting Sharpens the Mind
Writing by hand impacts and affects many brain parts and the memory, engaging the motor skills.
Many doctors and researchers recommend getting involved in your own handwriting for sharp in your mind.
If it is not something that will benefit your personal or professional jobs, choose it as a hobby considering its positive effects on your brain.
Writing Enhances the Organising Skills
Those who write notes by hand, they organize their write-ups more effectively. Because of their writing practice, they write more precise, selective, and focused content. Eventually, this quality can be seen affecting their other chores and practices as well in a positive manner.
Handwriting Improves Focus
If working on your computer or mobile distracts you a lot because of those notifications of emails and social media, choose a writing by hand.
Writing from Hand is a Stress-buster
We all face stressful situations and conditions in our day-to-day lives every now and then. We try many ways to get rid of our anxiety and tensions. Do you know that just writing from your hand can also work as a stress buster?
When you are suffering from mental tension and chronic attacks, handwriting can give you therapeutic results. When you write your bad experiences, feelings, or emotions in your own handwriting, you actually separate yourself from the clutter of your mind. It not only helps you to reduce mental tension and stress but also aids in getting freedom from the chaotic mind.
Believe or Not, They Are Effective
Researchers suggest that choosing handwriting instead of typing gives more effective results.
Many people are still skeptical about the benefits of handwritten notes. Some people believe in the researches and positive effects of handwriting, but they are yet to explore it on their own.
How about removing all the doubts and giving it a try on Handwriting Day?Experience yourself that does it help in becoming more organized or not. Check out if it really helps to improve your memory or not. And do share your experience with someone out there so that they can also make the most of this skill and its benefits.
You Wrote It, You Did It
Do you know that you are half done if you have written your goals on paper from your own hands? Studies suggest that those who practice writing their short-term and long-term goals on a paper in their handwriting, they tend to achieve them more.
Writing your plans down:
- Gives you clarity about what is to be done
- Enhances the sense of accountability
- Keeps you focused
- Clarifies the path to your goal
- Removes ambiguous clutter
- Defines the step-by-step process.
