Got an idea for a holiday? Send it to us

Submit Now

May15–21

National Stationery Week – May 15-21, 2024

National Stationery Week is celebrated from May 15 to 21 each year. The week is a celebration of all our favorite stationery products. National Stationery Week started in 2013 in an attempt to promote stationery products in the market. We are moving towards a digital world, and this week reminds us of the way we felt while writing with a new pen on a trendy diary. The day is all about celebrating the art of writing, making crafts, organizing office supplies, and enjoying the smooth strokes of a watercolor brush on craft paper.

History of National Stationery Week

Would there be a time when writing, drawing, and crafting become obsolete due to the development of digital technology? We already use mobile phones and computers for most of our work. But that does not mean we will forget the beautiful stationery that we love to keep. National Stationery Week is here to remind us of the beautiful memories of playing with vibrant colors, bold pencils, fragrant books, and a lot more.

Our passion for scribbling started during the dawn of human evolution. We made art out of pretty much everything. We decorated caves with drawings, we developed vocabulary, spoken language, simple symbol-based scripts, and complex languages. We also discovered pen and paper! Technically speaking, paper and the tools we used to inscribe symbols on various surfaces were the ancestors of stationary.

We loved stationery from our early childhood. The euphoria we felt when we got a new pen or book during our childhood was unexplainable. Chris Leonard Morgan might have felt the same when he launched National Stationery Day in 2013. It is evident that people love stationery, so much so that Morgan had to expand Stationery Day into a National Stationery Week the following year. The campaign was aimed at promoting the importance of stationery in everyday life. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a bag and let us shop for some new books and pens!

National Stationery Week timeline

1500 B.C.
The First Pair of Scissors

The Egyptians use the earliest form of scissors.

1827
The Fountain Pen

The French government patents the fountain pen invented by Petrache Poenaru.

1877
The Invention of the Stapler

Henry R. Heyl develops and patents the earliest form of the stapler.

1885
The Conductor’s Punch

Benjamin Smith patents a spring-loaded hole puncher that can collect paper clips inside.

National Stationery Week FAQs

Who is the largest pencil manufacturer?

The Faber-Castell group has around 6,500 employees and 16 production sites around the world.

How much is the stationery industry worth?

The U.S. stationery market is worth around $53 billion.

What is considered stationary?

Stationery refers to commercially manufactured materials used for writing and related activities. The products include cut paper, pens, pencils, envelopes, art, craft materials, continuous form paper, and other office supplies.

National Stationery Week Activities

  1. Buy some fresh stock

    The first thing to do is buy some of the latest trending products. Make sure to buy colors and thermocol; we will need them for our next activities. Go with your friends and make it one of the best shopping experiences!

  2. Make crafts with thermocol

    We hope you did not forget the thermocol we mentioned. Build your favorite bird with it. You can find some amazing ideas and methods online.

  3. Create a painting

    Use this moment to bring out the Picasso in of you. Draw the best mountain and house images with a sunset and a few birds flying. Please make sure to donate the products once you are finished.

5 Important Facts About Popular Stationery

  1. Two billion pencils

    Faber-Castell produces over two billion pencils in a year.

  2. The origin of stationery

    The first stationery item was paper, and it was invented in China around 1,400 years ago.

  3. China produces the most pens

    China produces around 38 billion ballpoint pens per year.

  4. Drawing the line

    An average ballpoint pen can draw a line about 2.5 miles long.

  5. Eraser and bread crumbs

    Before rubber, people used to use bread crumbs to erase pencil marks.

Why We Love National Stationery Week

  1. There is always something new

    Manufacturers are flooding the stationery market with innovative products. It is always good to be on the lookout for the latest trends and useful tools. We all need some stationery at some point!

  2. Rekindle the joy of writing

    Most of us are losing the ability to write with our hands. Most of us have replaced writing with typing. This week, try to rekindle that lost spark and write a short story.

  3. We love to support local traders

    Purchasing stationery from the nearby store is a good way to support local businesses. Most local shopkeepers can get you a discount if you purchase regularly from them.

National Stationery Week dates

YearDateDay
2024May 15Wednesday
2025May 15Thursday
2026May 15Friday
2027May 15Saturday
2028May 15Monday

Holidays Straight to Your Inbox

Every day is a holiday!
Receive fresh holidays directly to your inbox.