Neither rain nor snow nor heat nor gloom of night will keep the Postal Service™ from doing what it does best — delivering the holidays. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Postal Service will deliver 15.8 billion cards, letters, and packages across the country and around the world.
This holiday season, the U.S. Postal Service® is encouraging customers to relax a little and take the stress out of holiday shipping by going online to usps.com to order Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, print shipping labels with postage using Click-N-Ship® service, and schedule free Package Pickup.
Because Christmas Day falls on a Saturday this year, the Postal Service will experience two peak volume mailing days and two peak volume delivery days.
n Peak Mailing Day: Monday, December 20 will be the busiest mailing day, with an expected 801 million cards, letters, and packages being processed. December 13 is expected to be nearly as busy.
n Peak Delivery Day: Wednesday, December 22 will be the busiest delivery day. December 15 is expected to be nearly as busy.
2010 Holiday Shipping Dates
To ensure delivery of holiday cards and packages by December 25 to military APO/FPO/DPO and international addresses overseas, we suggest that mail be entered by the recommended mailing dates listed below. Beat the last-minute rush and take your mail to your Post Office™ by these suggested dates. And don’t forget you can print postage, labels, and customs forms online 24/7 using Click-N-Ship service at www.usps.com/clicknship.
Remember, all mail addressed to military and diplomatic post offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation, and handling. APO/FPO addresses generally require customs forms. To see a table of active APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Codes and associated mailing restrictions, go to http://pe.usps.com and click Postal Bulletins, or go to the current issue and see the article “Overseas Military/Diplomatic Mail.”
*Average number of days may vary based upon origin and destination.
Some Postal Services That Simplify the Season
n Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes. Take the guesswork out of shipping with Priority Mail flat-rate items. Whatever fits in the box or envelope ships for one low price anywhere in the United States. There’s no weighing or calculating involved if the package weighs less than 70 pounds: www.usps.com/shipping/prioritymail.htm
n Click-N-Ship. Skip the trip to the Post Office™ by printing mailing labels with postage right from the convenience of your home or office. Customers get a discount on postage for domestic packages: Express Mail — 5 percent savings; Priority Mail — up to 14 percent savings: www.usps.com/clicknship/
n Free Package Pickup. The Postal Service will pick up packages from homes and offices across the country. The service is free, regardless of the number of packages being sent. A letter carrier will pick up the packages during regular mail delivery service: www.usps.com/pickup/
WWW.USPS.COM
One of the most frequently visited federal websites, usps.com receives more than 1.3 million visits each day on an average day and more than 1.7 million visits each day during the holidays. The five most popular areas on the site are (in order of popularity) the following:
1. ZIP Code™ Lookup.
2. Track & Confirm.
3. Calculate Postage.
4. Post Office Locator.
5. Change of Address.
n Go to usps.com for information about ZIP Codes, postage rates, mailing requirements, Post Office hours, locations, and more.
n Avoid going to the Post Office for stamps this holiday season by ordering them from The Postal Store® at usps.com/shop; ordering by telephone by calling 800-STAMP24; or by purchasing them from Automated Postal Centers® (APCs®), ATMs, or local retail outlets in the neighborhood (grocery stores, drug stores, etc.).
Care Packages to the Troops
Since Priority Mail service supplies are the packaging of choice for families preparing care packages for service members overseas, the Postal Service created a “Mili-kit” based on the items most frequently requested by military families.
The kit contains:
n Two Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Boxes.
n Two Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Boxes.
n Priority Mail tape.
n Priority Mail address labels.
n Appropriate customs forms.
To order the kit, call 800-610-8734.
Guidelines for packing, addressing, and shipping items to U.S. troops can be found at www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/.
Greeting Cards Postmarked From the North Pole
It’s easy for customers to have their greeting cards postmarked from the North Pole. Simply place postage stamps on personalized, sealed, and addressed greeting cards and place them into a larger envelope or box addressed to:
NORTH POLE POSTMARK
POSTMASTER
4141 POSTMARK DR
ANCHORAGE AK 99530-9998
The envelope or box containing the greeting cards should be mailed to Anchorage no later than December 10, 2010.
Letters to Santa
The Postal Service began receiving letters to Santa Claus more than 100 years ago. However, it was in 1912 that Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local postmasters to allow postal employees and citizens to respond to the letters in the program that became known as Operation Santa.
In the 1940s, mail volume for Santa increased so much the Postal Service invited charitable organizations and corporations to participate to provide written responses to the letters and small gifts to the children who wrote them.
Over the past 60 years, the program has continued to grow. Cities around the country today have successful programs working with recognized charitable organizations, major corporations, local businesses, and postal employees to help make a difference in the lives of children from coast to coast.
What We Do
In 2006, national policy guidelines were created regarding the handling and adoption of letters addressed to Santa. These guidelines were designed to protect the children who wrote to Santa, and mandated that individuals wishing to adopt letters must do so in person, present valid photo identification, and fill out a form that includes the list of letters being adopted.
New York City’s “Operation Santa” program is the largest in the country. This program is traditionally kicked off the first week of December, and tens of thousands of people come in person to adopt letters. More than 500,000 letters are received in this location alone.
In 2009, the Postal Service changed the letter adoption process. For additional information on the process, go to http://blue.usps.gov/caweb/privacy/operation_santa.htm. The changes to this program were designed to protect the identity of the children.
Employee Tipping/Gift Receiving Policy
All postal employees, including carriers, must comply with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Under these federal regulations, carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount. Furthermore, no employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from any one customer in any one calendar year.
Suggestions for Promotional Activities
n Host a holiday promotional event in the lobby of the main Post Office or other postal facility to demonstrate packing tips and how much can fit into a Priority Mail Flat Rate Box. Set up a display of shipping products, including Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, holiday stamps, and gift items for sale in Retail. Have holiday fact sheets (see pages 14–20) available for reporters.
n Host a free “How to Get the Most Out of the Mail” event and walk customers through some mailing and shipping best practices, including using flat-rate products. Employees can show customers the new Evergreens Forever stamps and the other holidays stamps available, and how to send military mail and promote Express Mail service for last-minute gifts. Participants could receive free information and gift bags, which could include news releases relative to postal flat-rate shipping products, holiday mailing tips, international products, holiday fact sheets, 2010 Postal Facts, and perhaps a sample greeting card. This event could be promoted by local communications representatives, and local media could be invited.
n Santa, Mrs. Claus, and a team of postal elves can host a lobby event and give information on holiday mailing deadlines and packaging tips, show customers how to use the Automated Postal Center for their holiday mailings, and if an internet connection and computer are available, show customers how to create shipping labels with postage using Click-N-Ship service on usps.com.
n Pitch a story on “the great package race.” Have a reporter fit as much as he or she can into two Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes and address both boxes to the same address. Have the reporter mail one package at a Post Office and the other using the convenience of Click-N-Ship service and free Package Pickup on usps.com. Point out to the reporter how much was saved by going online. The reporter can then report on when the packages arrived in a later news segment for additional coverage.
n Order Military Care Kits to use as display samples for lobby demonstrations. Demonstrate how many holiday gifts can fit in a Priority Mail Flat Rate Box. Promote “If it fits, it ships,” the “Care Kits,” and “$2 military discount” on signage.
n Postmasters can send letters promoting $2 military discount for Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes being sent to APO/FPO addresses, Military Care Kits, and military shipping dates to editors of military association newsletters/officials at local military bases, media (focus on consumer reporters), veterans associations, United Services Organization, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, U.S. Navy League, Marine Corps League, U.S. Marines, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, local military installations/bases, Federal Executive Boards, etc.
n Wherever possible, have reporters interview APO/FPO military personnel who can share how important it is to receive mail when stationed overseas and away from home, particularly during the holiday season. Create a “goody box” of promotional materials in a Priority Mail Flat Rate Box to give to each reporter. The box could include all news releases relative to shipping military mail, holiday mailing tips, international products, holiday fact sheets, 2010 Postal Facts, and a holiday card addressed to the media thanking them for all the positive coverage throughout the year. Corporate Communications can help supply the informational materials.
n Contact elementary/junior high students, high school ROTC, Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts, and other community groups to create cards and letters to ship to service men and women overseas. Create a media event, and have students or other participants stuff all items into individual Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes in the lobby and ship as a group at the retail counter.
n Stack Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes on a table in the lobby for a photo opportunity. If possible, have several students carry the boxes to a designated sales and service associate (SSA) for mailing. Invite representatives from local veterans associations, and ask them to talk about the importance of receiving mail when stationed overseas during the holidays.
Postal Service Direct Mail Piece
On November 8, self-mailers were sent to 27 million households promoting flat-rate shipping and the Flat Rate Holiday Shipping Kit, which includes each of the four Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, the Priority Mail Flat Rate Gift Card Envelope, and a helpful tip sheet.
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Front and Back of Self-Mailer (sample)
Tip Sheet (included in Flat-Rate Holiday Shipping Kit)
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Postal Service E-mails to Customers
On November 16 and November 27, holiday e-mails promoting flat-rate shipping and the Flat-Rate Holiday Shipping Kit will be sent to the 450,000 customers who have opted to receive them.
What’s in Print
This advertisement will run beginning November 8 in Cooking Light, Parents, Traditional Home, Family Circle, and Martha Stewart Living.
What’s in Retail?
Signage
Holiday Window Cling Front
Holiday Window Cling Back
Holiday Product Poster
Holiday Stamps Poster
Holiday Priority Mail Flat Rate Menu Board
Holiday Product Counter Mat
What’s in Retail?
For Sale
A Simpler Way to … Say ‘Happy Holidays’
Single Holiday Greeting Cards
40 designs, $2.50–$3.95
Evergreens Holiday Cards
Set includes five cards with envelopes, $4.95
A Simpler Way to … Say ‘Thank You’
Evergreens Note Cards
Set includes eight blank cards with envelopes, plus eight Evergreen Forever stamps, $11.95.
A Simpler Way to … Listen to Holiday Songs
CD for Sale in Retail — “Let it Snow”
$12.99 each, or $10.99 when purchased with Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box postage.
Image of CD and CD Mailer
CD: “Let It Snow”
A Simpler Way to … Enjoy a Holiday Classic
DVD for Sale in Retail — “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
$14.99 each, or $12.99 when purchased with Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box postage.
Co-Branded Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box
A Simpler Way to … Collect Stamps
2010 Stamp Yearbook
$59.95
A Simpler Way to … Learn About Stamps
Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps — 37th Edition
Images of all U.S. postage stamps issued, $19.95
A Simpler Way to … Travel
Passport Wallet
$17.99
A Simpler Way to ... Send Gifts
ReadyPost Mailing Boxes and Bubble Mailers — Peanuts and Evergreens
$1.89–$4.75
Screensaver
Running on postal computers Nov. 22–Dec. 5
A Simpler Way to … Personalize
PhotoStamp Kit
Personalize postage for 20, First-Class® cards or letters, $24.99
National Cancellation
Image cancelling letter mail processed on Advanced Facer Cancellers Dec. 1–31
Schedule for National Press Release Issuances
Go to www.usps.com/holidaynewsroom for press releases.
2010 Holiday Stamps Inventory
3.3 billion stamps available
Postal Service Holiday Stamp Program
The United States Post Office Department issued its first Christmas stamp in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 1, 1962. Customers had requested such a stamp for years, Postmaster General J. Edward Day said during the stamp dedication ceremony, adding that the stamp would be the first in a series of Christmas stamps.
Anticipating a huge demand for the new Christmas stamp, the Department ordered 350 million printed — the largest number produced for a special stamp until that time. The green and red 4-cent stamps featured a wreath, two candles, and the words “Christmas 1962.” The initial supply sold out quickly, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing began working around the clock to print more. By the end of 1962, 1 billion of the stamps had been printed and distributed.
The decision to print a Christmas stamp encountered some controversy, especially from groups concerned about maintaining the separation of church and state. Legal actions to bar the stamps were not successful.
The Postal Service recognized additional holidays when it issued the Hanukkah stamp in 1996, followed in 1997 by the Kwanzaa stamp, and in 2001 by the Eid stamp.
Each year, the Postal Service receives thousands of suggestions for new postage stamps. The Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee was established in 1957 to review the suggestions and recommend new stamp designs to the postmaster general. In choosing new stamp subjects, the Committee established specific criteria, such as national appeal and historical perspective. The ultimate goal is to create an annual stamp program that reflects America — from the events and people that bind the nation together to the diversity of cultures that forms its foundation.
The Postal Service is proud of a stamp program that celebrates the rich diversity of American culture, and we recognize that some individuals may disagree with our selections on occasion. A wide variety of stamps are available so that postal customers always have options.
Each year the Postal Service issues a Holiday Contemporary and Holiday Traditional postage stamp. This year, the Holiday Contemporary is the Evergreens Forever stamp and the Holiday Traditional is the Angel with Lute stamp.
In 1996, the Postal Service paid tribute to Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, by issuing the first Hanukkah stamp, which featured a stylized illustration of a menorah. A design featuring an ornate dreidel followed in 2004. This season, the Postal Service will continue selling the 2009 Hanukkah stamp, the third U.S. stamp to commemorate the holiday.
In 1997, the Postal Service paid tribute to Kwanzaa, the celebration of family, community, and culture, by issuing the first Kwanzaa stamp, which featured a colorful portrait of an African-American family, a “symbol of family and togetherness.” A design featuring seven figures in colorful robes followed in 2004. This season, the Postal Service will continue selling the 2009 Kwanzaa stamp, the third U.S. stamp to commemorate the holiday.
In 2001, the Postal Service paid tribute to Eid, by issuing the Eid stamp, which features the phrase “Eid Mubarak” — meaning “blessed festival” — in gold Arabic script on a blue background. The stamp commemorates the two most important festivals on the Islamic calendar: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The stamp has been reissued in the original design to reflect current stamp prices.
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Holiday Fact Sheets
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Holiday Fact Sheets
Area Communications Managers Contacts
If you need assistance with promoting these stamps, please contact the individuals below:
Government Relations Contacts
If you need assistance with your elected state officials, please contact the appropriate individuals below. Use 202 268- before each extension.
— Public Relations,
Corporate Communications, 11-18-10
