Coastin Carl
National STICKER Day ORIGIN & HISTORY
Celebrating the birth of R Stanton Avery, the father of modern-day stickers is what this day is all about. But … the forethought for creating modern stickers which Avery developed, began thousands of years ago in Ancient Egypt sometime between 3000 to 300 B.C. Archeologists found stickers embedded into the walls to indicate the prices of goods sold at the market for the day. Back then they used animal-based glues to place the stickers onto the walls. They may have even been poster-sized.
Fast forward to the 1700s where stamps were fastened with glue to goods and documents to levy taxes on the people for revenue. During this time the word decal would be introduced through innovative art being done by French engraver Simon Ravenet called decalquer. This is where tissue paper was pressed into copper plates. The decals would be fashioned onto ceramic or porcelain surfaces. By the late 1800s, decals on produce boxes would prove to be an ideal and effective way of advertising.
The two people credited for creating stickers are Sir Rowland Hill in 1839 and R Stanton Avery in 1935. Hill developed the first stamp that would require moisture for adhesion. And Avery is credited for the first self-adhesive label who later founded the Fortune 500 Avery Dennison company which you might have heard of. These are the earliest type of stickers we have today.
HOW to Celebrate & Observe National STICKER Day?
Not sure how to LOVE the day? We’ve got a few interesting ideas to consider that may help get you started.
Here are some activities that you can do on National STICKER Day!
π SHARE the gift of STICKERS
Share some stickers with friends, family, or maybe a coworker. Use them to send a message that could bring about a smile π
π Get CREATIVE
You can be imaginative by decorating personal items of choice with stickers to express yourself to the world around you. A few great items to decorate would be binders, lunch boxes, tool boxes, pencil boxes, hard hats, helmets, windows, suitcases, camera gear, or even sports carrying equipment such as a Sportube.
Don’t have a sticker? Anything can be turned into a sticker. Just cut out some paper, color & decorate it, then cut it out and apply a glue stick to the back. There are even sticker artists that use stickers to create murals and other works of art!
π Be PRODUCTIVE
Give yourself a reminder about something significant or an important task to be done.
π RAISE Social Awareness
Use social media posts with the hashtag #NationalSTICKERDay to support the importance of celebrating, promoting, and sharing with the world why you β€οΈ National STICKER Day.
LEARN more about the history of STICKERS
FIVE Fun Facts you never knew about National STICKER Day
- In the 16th century, wealthy people such as the aristocracy would put stickers on their faces to hide blemishes.
- In 1940, Forest Gill came up with the bright idea of putting bumper stickers on cars. He called them bumper strips and the expressive individuals of the world have never looked back since.
- I used to have a rather nice sticker stash when I was younger but it pales in comparison to the world’s largest sticker collection. It belongs to Nidhi Bansal of India and contains well over 100,000 items at last count. She only started collecting in 2007.
- The LARGEST STICKER was printed in 2010 and plastered on all four sides of the Zheng Jia Square Building in Guangzhou, China. Just one of these measured 209′ 10″ x 417′ 6″, that’s 63.98 meters x 127.26 meters! Ever wanted to have a giant sticker cover your house?
- The produce you buy has fruit stickers that are edible! Ones beginning with the PLU number “9” mean organic, “8” GMOs, and “4” are conventionally grown. Scientists are now working on a dissolvable fruit sticker that transforms into a fruit wash.
Famous PEOPLE also born on January 13th
-
Michael PeΓ±a
American actor & musician best known as the hilarious sidekick in Marvel’s Ant-Man films. Born 1976.
-
Jonathan Antoine
English classically trained tenor who got his big break on Britain’s Got Talent in 2012 competing as the young crossover duo “Jonathan & Charlotte“. While ultimately placing sixth in the competition, Simon Cowell gave them a Β£1 million recording contract. Born 1995.
-
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
American actress & comedian best known for playing Elaine on Seinfeld. The only actress to win Emmy Awards for three separate comedies. Born 1961.
Future DATES for National STICKER Day
| Year | Date | Day of the Week |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | January 13 | Friday |
| 2024 | January 13 | Saturday |
| 2025 | January 13 | Monday |
| 2026 | January 13 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | January 13 | Wednesday |
Sticker FAQ
What are stickers made of?
- Stickers today are made out of paper, vinyl, latex, foil, and plastic. Stickers can be permanent, movable so they can be placed elsewhere, or single-use removable. Fruit stickers have a special food-grade adhesive approved by the FDA (US Food & Drug Administration).
Are there any cool books about stickers for kids?
- Susan Mayes authored several books about the fun facts of stickers throughout history.
What is a popular sticker in use today?
- In 1959 the sticker βHello My Name Isβ which lets people know who you are at conventions or gatherings was first used; also “I Donated Blood” & “I Voted Today” are also used prevalently.
Why we LπVE National STICKER Day
Among all sticker collectors, car decal or bumper sticker enthusiasts are certainly the mostΒ vocal and pronounced of the bunch. However, stickers are made to be put anywhere. They’re both functional and decorative.
-
Imaginative COLLECTING
Kids love to collect “things”. I collected stamps, rocks, “dust”, seashells β kept them in both cardboard and styrofoam egg cartons. Stickers are no exception. Children gather stickers and put them in sticker books. I know I did. I used to fold and tape wax paper around pieces of construction paper to house my sticker stash. Then punch the pages with a 3-hole punch and into a binder they go.
-
Hey, FEEL Good Carl Daniel!
Since stickers can be made from all sorts of different materials, there are stickers out there for everyone and they express who you are. Have you ever found getting a sticker after leaving the dentist or doctor’s office somehow just makes you feel better? Also, your teacher might reward you for a test or completed work you turned in by giving you a sticker conveying you did a Good Job!
Stickers make us feel good.
