World Hello Day (November 21): hello in 20 languages, and a letter to someone new
World Hello Day is November 21: where it came from, hello in 20 languages (formal and casual), how 246 real first letters on Lettie said hello, and a first letter to someone new.
World Hello Day is every November 21. Brothers Brian and Michael McCormack started it in 1973, after the Yom Kippur War, to encourage people to solve conflict by talking, and the idea is to greet at least ten people that day. It's a perfect day to send a first letter to a stranger. On Lettie, sending one letter between Nov 18, 12:00 UTC and Nov 22, 00:00 UTC earns a free World Hello Day stamp (a winged envelope flying out of a window).
How first letters on Lettie say hello
In Lettie's letter statistics (October 11, 2026), of 246 first letters written in Latin script, 20% opened with "Hello", 19% with "Hi" and 9% with "Hey". The letter-like "Dear" opened just 2%. Of 36 first letters in Korean, 44% began with "annyeong". With half of all letters starting the same way, one line of hello in their language makes your opening stand out.
Hello in 20 languages
| Language | Hello | Pronunciation | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korean | 안녕하세요 / 안녕 | annyeonghaseyo / annyeong | The short form is for friends |
| English | Hello / Hi | — | "Hi" is lighter |
| Japanese | こんにちは | konnichiwa | A daytime greeting; mornings are おはよう (ohayō) |
| Chinese | 你好 | nǐ hǎo | 您好 (nín hǎo) for elders |
| Spanish | ¡Hola! | OH-la | The h is silent |
| French | Bonjour / Salut | bon-ZHOOR / sa-LOO | Salut is for friends |
| German | Hallo / Guten Tag | HA-lo / GOO-ten tahk | Guten Tag is more formal |
| Italian | Ciao / Buongiorno | chow / bwon-JOR-no | Ciao is casual, and also means bye |
| Portuguese | Olá / Oi | oh-LAH / oy | Oi is everywhere in Brazil |
| Russian | Здравствуйте / Привет | ZDRAST-vooy-tye / pree-VYET | Formal, then casual |
| Turkish | Merhaba | MEHR-ha-ba | Works with anyone |
| Vietnamese | Xin chào | sin chow | Works with anyone |
| Indonesian | Halo / Hai | HA-lo / hi | Time-of-day greetings like Selamat pagi (good morning) are common |
| Thai | สวัสดี | sa-wat-DEE | Men add ครับ (khrap), women add ค่ะ (kha) |
| Hindi | नमस्ते | na-ma-STAY | Often said with palms pressed together |
| Arabic | مرحبا / السلام عليكم | MAR-ha-ban / as-sa-LAA-mu a-LAY-kum | Answer the second with وعليكم السلام (wa alaykum as-salaam) |
| Filipino | Kumusta | koo-MOOS-ta | Means "how are you?" |
| Polish | Dzień dobry / Cześć | jen DOB-ry / cheshch | Formal, then casual |
| Swahili | Habari / Jambo | ha-BAH-ree / JAHM-bo | Habari means "what's the news?" |
| Persian | سلام | sa-LAAM | Works with anyone |
A first letter to someone new
नमस्ते! I'm an office worker in Seoul. Today is World Hello Day, so I wanted to say hello to someone I don't know yet. The ginkgo leaves have all fallen here and the streets are yellow. What season is it where you are? I hope I'm not the only one who said hello to you today.
Write just the greeting in their language and the rest in yours. The translate button on the writing screen turns it into their language, and they can tap "Show translation" to read it in their own.
Three things to do on World Hello Day
- Float one letter into the sky — to someone you don't know yet. See first-letter examples.
- Say hello to a pen pal who went quiet — short is fine. See pen pal not replying?
- Greet ten people — the original idea. They don't all have to be letters.
Next on the holiday stamp calendar is Thanksgiving — see how to write a Thanksgiving letter. The full schedule is in the holiday stamp calendar.
Frequently asked questions
- When is World Hello Day and why did it start?
- Every November 21. Brothers Brian and Michael McCormack started it in 1973, after the Yom Kippur War, to encourage solving conflict through communication. The idea is to greet at least ten people that day.
- How do you say hello in other languages?
- Japanese こんにちは (konnichiwa), Chinese 你好 (nǐ hǎo), Spanish Hola, French Bonjour, Hindi नमस्ते (namaste), Arabic مرحبا (marhaban), Korean 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo). The table below covers 20 languages, with formal and casual forms.
- How do I get the Lettie World Hello Day stamp?
- Send one letter between Nov 18, 12:00 UTC and Nov 22, 00:00 UTC and a free stamp arrives.