Don't order or order on Sunday?
Those were the days. The postman who came by up to seven times a day in large cities to deliver the mail. Even on Sundays, mail deliveries were quite normal back then. But more and more people took issue with the fact that the Sunday rest was being disturbed by a postman. That is why senders started writing in pen on mail items they did not want delivered to the addressee on Sunday: do not deliver on Sunday.These written markings were not very conspicuous, and therefore the PTT decided to have distinctive red labels printed that senders could purchase. From January 15, 1912, the labels were for sale in sheets of 50 for 1 cent per sheet. From August 1, 1916, the sheets were even free.
However, the practice with the labels proved disappointing, and therefore it was decided to reverse the procedure. From then on, only letters, postcards, and death notices bearing a blue label with the text "order on Sunday" were to be ordered on Sundays. These labels were available from July 10, 1919 (the official date was July 20) in sheets of 10 at a price of 1 cent per sheet. The red labels were no longer permitted to be used after July 20, 1919.
In most smaller and medium-sized cities, the Sunday service was discontinued. Only a few large cities still had orders on Sundays. Therefore, new labels were produced with the text: Order on Sunday. The marginal inscription stated: If there is an order on site on Sundays. These labels were available from December 16, 1925, at the price of 1 cent per sheet of 10.
In 1935, only a few cities still had a Sunday delivery service. These were Amsterdam, The Hague, Scheveningen, Groningen, Rotterdam, and Utrecht. Therefore, a new label was created listing the six cities. The labels were printed in sheets of 50. From November 6, 1938, Sunday delivery in Groningen was discontinued. Effective April 21, 1940, the entire Sunday service in the Netherlands was abolished, except for express mail. Up to and including September 30, 1940, people who still had labels at home could hand them in at the post office for a fee of 1 cent per 10 pieces.
Belgium
In Belgium, the system of 'no delivery on Sundays' had been known for much longer. In June 1893, stamps appeared there to which a small strip was attached with the text: 'Niet bestellen op Zondag; ne pas livrer le Dimanche'. This strip could be torn off if one did wish to have the postal item delivered on Sunday. The pre-printed postage values on postcards also had such a 'strip'. Naturally, this could not be torn off, and if one wanted the postcard delivered on Sunday, the text had to be crossed out with a pen. The stamps with strips were abolished in 1914.
Mail in the letterbox or on the doormat is a disturbance of the Sunday rest?! pfff :S
Finally, a clear and logically structured overview of this interesting and self-contained collecting area.
Great, Cees!
An article I can work with.
It has enriched my knowledge. Thanks for that, Cees. Nice to read that Scheveningen was at one point considered one of the larger cities.... They must be proud of that.
And Lars, there are people who, out of religious conviction and respect, do not want other people to work for them on Sundays. I think that was an even better reason not to allow deliveries on Sundays than just the disruption of the Sabbath rest. To me, mail on Sunday sounds wonderful. I wouldn't have to wait until Monday (and soon Tuesday). And you're helping people get a job again…
I was aware of it in Belgium, but that we in the Netherlands also did Sunday delivery is new to me. Nice documents included!
Interesting article!
Ronald,
I understand that some want that out of religious conviction. I just do not agree that the whole of the Netherlands must adapt to the Reformed. To this very day. Look, for example, at the political discussion regarding Sunday shopping.
I am still missing these postal markings from my collection of curiosities. These labels cost 1 cent for a sheet of 10 back then. Well, I’m willing to pay a bit more for that. Does anyone have anything on sale regarding ordering, whether on Sundays or not?
Willem,
See eBay:
http://www.ebay.nl/itm/NIEUW-WEERDINGE-1912-TWELLO-NIET-BESTELLEN-OP-ZONDAG-WN624-/320995394156?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_146&hash=item4abcd1026c
What kind of restricted area is that!
I still receive mail on Sundays!
If the weather is bad on Saturday, I will get the mail on Sunday.
Henricus, you really should invite that postman over for coffee; where do you still find someone who works for a boss on Sundays (except in the so-called continuous shifts)?
Delivering mail is against PostNL rules, and it may not be allowed at Sandd either.
PostNL: mail must be delivered by 6:00 PM at the latest (until 2011 it was 5:00 PM) on the day it is handed over to the carriers. So just deliver your batch of mail every day, along with any door-to-door deliveries. Rain or shine.
Oops, that is a very strange typo: editor/moderator: can you correct the first line:
Delivering mail on Sundays is against the rules (etc etc)
So insert 'on Sunday' in between. Thank you
Nice article, I seem to recall the post even delivering twice a day. Now they're cutting Mondays too; surely funeral mail will still be delivered? And the birthday card, do you get that on Saturday or Tuesday if your birthday is on a Monday? Just got mail from Sand or Select, tax letter and advertising, shortly after that the CAK from PostNL. In the morning with the AD I also get mail, I don't know who that is, at 5 o'clock I'm still asleep. What a mess, then you have the parcel delivery guys, so-called freelancers also employed by PostNL. As far as I'm concerned, everything can go back to the PTT, even if it means a monopoly and 5 or 10 cents more. That way I'll be spared the mail with sprinkles and mayonnaise lying on the third floor at Aunt Mien's. If I even get it at all; I don't know where to complain with all those parties.
A separate rate applies for funeral mail!!
Must be selected and handed over personally! Imagine if it got left at the neighbors'…
Oh well, of course a separate rate, how naive of me… I assume per courier!
Funeral mail could simply be included in the order with Parcel Service on Monday. They continue to deliver parcels on Mondays as usual and therefore drive throughout the entire country.
What I found among the bulk goods a while ago is something you don't see every day either.
A Belgian stamp with the Sunday strip attached to the top. Apparently torn from the sheet incorrectly at some point. (or someone bought a stamp back then “without Sunday strip please”)
So I mean that it was done wrong BEFORE the stamp with the small label at the top was sold.
(Would they have a loose strip left over back then? Or perhaps a stamp with 2 strips? THAT we will never know!)
In addition to *No* or *On Sunday* delivery, there was also *NOT* on New Year's Day. This had to be indicated by an ANDREAS Cross on the back of the message (envelope or card). I do not come across these in this overview. These are in my possession.