As “The Official Shipper” of the holidays, the United States Postal Service® plans to do what we do best — deliver joy! In fact, we will make it our priority. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Postal Service™ will deliver 16.5 billion cards, letters, and packages across the country and around the world.
This holiday season, the U.S. Postal Service® is encouraging customers to wrap up the holidays from home 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. Customers who skip the trip and take advantage of USPS.com this holiday will find all their shipping and mailing needs can be met right from the comfort of home.
Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, therefore we expect Monday, December 19 to be the heaviest day for delivery, while the busiest day for mailing cards and letters is expected to be December 20.
n Peak Mailing Day: Tuesday, December 20 will be the busiest mailing day, with an expected 589 million cards, letters, and packages being processed.
n Peak Delivery Day: Monday, December 19 will be the busiest delivery day.
2011 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.”
Some Postal Services That Will Help Customers Wrap Up the Holidays From Home
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: The boxes are always free, can be ordered from USPS.com at www.usps.com/shipping/prioritymail.htm, and will be delivered right to your door.
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. 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.).
Support Our Troops by Sending Care Packages
Since Priority Mail service supplies are the packaging of choice for families preparing care packages for service members overseas, the Postal Service created a “Military Care Kit” based on the items most frequently requested by military families. The kit is free and each box is emblazoned with “America Supports You”, sure to remind those away from home of a bit of home.
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, 2011.
Letters to Santa/Operation 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.
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 Holiday Baubles Forever stamps and the other holidays stamps available to celebrate the season. Demonstrate 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, 2011 Postal Facts, and perhaps a sample greeting card signed by the local postmaster. This event could be promoted by local communications representatives, and local media could be invited to cover the event.
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 Self-Service Ship and Mail Center for their holiday mailings, and if an Internet connection and computer are available, show customers how to wrap up the holidays from home by creating 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.”
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, 2011 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 into the shape of a holiday tree or 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.
Holiday Marketing
A holiday shipping guide was mailed to 65 million homes starting November 7. An e-mail blast is being sent out four times focusing on the following topics:
n Nov. 4: Get FREE Flat Rate Supplies.
n Nov. 26: Reminder: Get FREE Flat Rate Supplies.
n Dec. 2: Get FREE Package Pickup.
n Dec. 26: Get Flat Rate Boxes for Returns.
The Official Way To Gift, Greet, and Ship
This holiday season, the Postal Service offers a variety of ways to gift, greet, and ship!
American Express Gift Cards
One of the most popular gift ideas, American Express Gift Cards, are now available at nearly 5,000 Post Offices nationwide. These decorative gift cards come in $25 and $50 denominations as well as any even dollar amount between $25 and $100, and feature four holiday designs.
White House Holiday Ornament
Another popular gift, the 2011 White House Holiday Ornament, is a unique decoration for any Christmas tree. This 36th ornament in the White House Historical Association series honors the administration of Theodore Roosevelt, and reflects the excitement the president and his family brought to life at the White House. $24.99
2011 Stamp Yearbook
The 72-page, hardcover 2011 Stamp Yearbook includes 75 commemorative stamps with mounts, as well as fascinating information about each stamp. $59.95
The Postal Service Guide to U.S. Stamps, 38th Edition
This fully illustrated, four-color guide to U.S. stamps covers more than 4,000 stamps, from 1847 through 2011, and offers advice on how to start a stamp collection. $19.95
Greeting Cards
Greeting cards are always popular during the holidays and, this year, 40 different individual holiday card designs, 12 boxed holiday card choices, and two patterns of holiday stationery are available in approximately 2,000 Post Offices.
Individual Holiday Cards: $2.50–$3.75
Holiday Stationery: $4.95
Boxed Holiday Cards: $9.95–$14.95
Readypost Decorative Bubble Mailers
When customers are ready to mail their gifts and cards, the Postal Service is ready to serve as The Official Shipper of the Holidays with Express Mail®, Priority Mail®, and ReadyPost decorative designs. Two new ReadyPost holiday designs feature popular Disney characters and the 2011 Holiday Baubles stamp art.
Disney Decorative Bubble Mailers
6 3/8" x 8 ¾" — $1.99
10 ¾" x 14 ¼" — $2.89
Holiday Baubles Decorative Bubble Mailers
6 3/8" x 8 ¾" — $1.89
10 ¾" x 14 ¼" — $2.79
The Postal Service offers “one stop shopping” convenience. Customers can do all of their holiday shopping in one location, just by purchasing greeting cards, gift cards, mailing supplies and stamps, and mailing their gifts at the Post Office.
The Holiday Baubles Tote Bag
The Holiday Baubles tote bag is a great way to carry letters and packages to the Post Office, and it makes a great gift bag too! $2.00
Schedule for National Press Release Issuances
2011 Holiday Stamps Inventory
3.3 billion stamps available
Holiday Contemporary
Holiday Baubles (Forever)
Double-sided booklets of 20, 741.6 million stamps
ATM sheetlet of 18, 87.9 million stamps
|
Holiday Traditional
Madonna & Child (Forever)
Double-sided booklets of 20, 59.1 million stamps
|
Hanukkah
Booklets, 12.3 million stamps
|
Kwanzaa
Booklets, 20.5 million stamps
|
EID
Booklets, 8.4 million stamps
|
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 Holiday Baubles Forever stamp and the Holiday Traditional is the Madonna and Child Forever 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.
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.
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.
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, 11-17-11
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