Americans will entrust more than 15.2 billion pieces of mail with the U.S. Postal Service from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Monday, Dec. 17, is expected to be the busiest mailing day for holiday packages, cards and letters with volumes to reach an estimated 658 million pieces on that day.
Belleville Postmaster John Sertich recommends local residents mail their holiday gifts and cards early in the season.
"When mailing holiday cards and gifts, don't procrastinate," he said. "Mailing early in the season ensures timely delivery and gives the customer peace of mind that their package is safely on its way to its destination in time for Christmas."
Recommended mail-by dates for Christmas arrival to most Military APO/FPO/DPO destinations are:
* Nov. 26 - Space Available Mail (SAM)
* Dec. 3 - Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL)
* Dec. 10 - First-class Mail
* Dec. 10 - Priority Mail
* Dec. 17 - Express Mail
Recommended mail-by dates for Christmas arrival to most International destinations are:
* Dec. 3 - First Class International Service
* Dec. 10 - Priority Mail International Service
* Dec. 15 - Express Mail International Service
* Dec. 19 - Global Express Guaranteed Service
Recommended mail-by dates for Christmas arrival within the U.S. are:
* Dec. 14 - Parcel Post
* Dec. 20 - First-class Mail
* Dec. 21 - Priority Mail
* Dec. 22 - Express Mail
A complete listing by country and military zip code is available at www.usps.com/shippingdates.
