Open when letters.
A gift that arrives a little at a time.
One envelope for a rough day, one for the first night in a new home, one for when you miss each other. Open when letters aren't read all at once: they wait for their moment, and when it comes, they're already there.
Open when letters are sealed envelopes, each one telling the reader when to open it: “Open when you miss me”, “Open on your birthday”. They're a handmade gift for a partner, a friend or your children. Research published by the American Psychological Association shows that people appreciate an unexpected message more than the person writing it imagines.
An unexpected message means more than you think
A team of researchers led by Peggy Liu at the University of Pittsburgh asked participants to send a short note, sometimes with a small gift, to someone they hadn't been in touch with for a while. The senders predicted how much it would be appreciated, then the recipients said how much it had meant to them. In every experiment, senders underestimated the other person's pleasure.
plus: the number of people who took part in the experiments. The message was appreciated more than the sender expected, especially when it came as a surprise.
Then there's the waiting. Jeroen Nawijn, a researcher at Erasmus University Rotterdam, followed 1,530 Dutch adults: people about to go on holiday were happier than those staying at home even before the trip, and he suggests that looking forward to it may be the reason. Open when letters work in a similar way: knowing there's still an envelope to open is already part of the gift.
It isn't just one letter. It's knowing that, at the right moment, there'll be one waiting.
How to make open when letters
- Choose how many envelopes. Six, ten, twelve. A few heartfelt ones are better than lots written in a hurry.
- Write the instruction on the envelope. “Open when…” followed by a moment the other person will recognise straight away.
- Write as if you were there. Two lines or two pages: what matters is that it sounds like you, not that it's perfect.
- Add something inside. A printed photo, a concert ticket, a tea bag, a small mission for that day.
- Put everything in a box. The envelopes in a row and, on top, a note with the only rule: one at a time, only at the right moment.
Open when letter ideas: what to write
A few ideas to get you started. Pick the ones that fit your story and make up your own.
Inside each envelope, as well as your words, there can be a small invitation: “Go for a walk today and send me a photo of the sky”, “Call your sister”, “Book the restaurant where we had our first dinner”. That way the letter becomes a whole day.
Labels to cut out
Ten envelope labels, four to fill in, a card for the box and a list to keep track of the envelopes.
PDF · 2 pages · A4For your partner, friends and children
For your partner
Perfect for a long-distance relationship or an anniversary: twelve envelopes, one for each month of the year ahead.
For a friend
For someone going to study abroad, moving city or starting a new job. The envelope for their first night in a new home won't be forgotten.
For your children
A letter for every birthday, written that year and kept sealed. The envelopes all arrive together at 18: their childhood, told by you.
For yourself
“Open when this project is finished”, “Open in a year”. An envelope to yourself is a kind way to remember who you were today.
When to give them and how to hand them over
Christmas is the most natural moment: a box under the tree that lasts all year. They also work well for Valentine's Day, an anniversary, a farewell or a milestone birthday.
- Give them in person, together with the box.
- Explain the rule: one envelope at a time, only when the moment comes.
- Add an empty envelope that says “Open when you want to write back”.
- Keep a list of the envelopes: in a year you can write new ones.
What if the envelopes arrived on their own?
Some moments have a date: a birthday, an anniversary, the first day at a new job. With Erabox you prepare a capsule for each one today and have it arrive on that very day, even years from now.
Write or record
A letter, an audio message in your voice, a video, the photos you want to remember.
Choose who will receive it
Your partner, a friend, or your children when they're grown up, for example at 18. They don't need to sign up or download anything: they'll receive a personal, secure link.
Choose the day
Your next anniversary, their birthday five years from now, your daughter's 18th. One capsule for each date.
Erabox keeps your words on servers in Switzerland and delivers them on the day you chose, even many years from now.
Open when letters: frequently asked questions
Can't find your answer? Write to us from the Support page.
Guides to go further
Some words wait for their moment.
You choose which one.
Write your first letter and decide when it arrives.