Tag: postal holidays

National Day of Observance for Former President Jimmy Carter on January 9th.

Important Announcement:

Mail services will halt on Thursday, January 9, 2025, to honor former President Jimmy Carter. LetterStream will still be open and processing mail behind the scenes.

In a heartfelt tribute to the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, a National Day of Observance has been declared for Thursday, January 9, 2025, according to President Biden’s Proclamation. The day will honor the remarkable contributions of this beloved leader, pausing regular operations across various sectors—including the United States Postal Service.

Here’s what you need to know about how this observance impacts mailing services:

No Regular Mail or Retail Services

On January 9, the Postal Service will temporarily halt regular mail deliveries, retail operations, and administrative office activities. This pause allows everyone, including Postal Service employees, to reflect on and honor President Carter’s legacy.

“Out of respect for the 39th President of the United States and to honor his vast contributions to our country during his lifetime, and consistent with the Presidential Proclamation, the United States Postal Service will suspend regular mail deliveries, retail services and administrative office activity on Jan 9,” said Tiffany Rowland, Strategic communications specialist with the U.S. Postal Service, according to MSN.

What Happens to Commercial Mail?

Commercial mailers, don’t fret! While regular deliveries take a break, the Postal Service will continue accepting and processing mail volume at its processing facilities. If you’re a business with time-sensitive needs, this ensures your mail is still moving behind the scenes.

Limited Package Delivery

Packages are a priority! Limited package delivery services will be active on January 9 to ensure smooth operations and avoid delays that could disrupt customers or business partners. The Postal Service is balancing respect for the observance with its commitment to customer service.

A Nationwide Pause

This observance impacts all Postal Service facilities, from headquarters in Washington, DC, to area and district offices. The entire organization is coming together to honor the day appropriately.

Back to Business on Friday, January 10th

Regular operations for the USPS will resume on Friday, January 10, 2025.

What Does This Mean for LetterStream Customers?

Here at LetterStream, we’ve got your back no matter what! While the Postal Service takes a well-deserved pause, our services remain available to help you navigate any mailing challenges. Whether you need to send critical business mail, important documents, or time-sensitive notices, we’ll be working to ensure everything is prepared and sent off for when regular mail operations resume.

Our secure, efficient online platform makes it easy to handle your mailing needs—even during a national observance. You can upload jobs, track progress, and stay in control of your mail without skipping a beat. With LetterStream, mailing stress is always off the table.

A Day of Remembrance

While the observance means a brief pause in some services, it’s a meaningful opportunity to reflect on President Carter’s extraordinary life and the indelible mark he left on our nation. Let’s take this moment to remember a leader who inspired change, championed humanitarian causes, and led with compassion.

To learn more about the 2025 USPS Postal Holiday closures and when LetterStream will still be open and mailing, click here.

LetterStream small logo

How to Send Mail on USPS Postal Holidays

Sending mail during the Christmas season can seem a bit hectic. Actually, let’s be honest, the month of December as a whole can be chaotic. Then trying to send out your holiday gifts and mail your Christmas cards and letters on top of it can also be a bit much. On top of that, there’s also the added stress of knowing when the postal holidays are, when the Post Office is closed and when deadlines are to get everything mailed on time for it to get to its destination before Christmas.

So much to think about.

U.S. Postal Holidays 2023 – Christmas and New Year’s Day

We’ll get right to the point on when the USPS is closed during this time of year. The 2023 postal holiday schedule is pretty simple. The Post Office is Closed on Christmas, December 25th and New Year’s Day, January 1st. Many wonder, “Is December 26 a postal holiday?” and it is not. USPS mail runs the day after Christmas each year…at least for now.

Others also wonder “Is Christmas Eve a postal holiday?” It is not, however, what you may not know is that some of the Post Offices do close early on Christmas Eve, December 24th. We recommend calling your local USPS Post Office to see what their hours are. Just something to keep in the back of your mind.

Like the Post Office, we are closed on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. However, we are open and mailing on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. We do have limited staff during this time of year and we too deal with USPS backups of mail but our team is working extra hard to always provide fast, perfect mail for our customers.

Our 2023 postal holiday calendar can be found here and the USPS postal holiday schedule 2023 can be found here.

mail truck for the usps postal service in a christmas tree for mailing on postal holidays

Shipping Deadlines for Christmas 2023

The shipping deadlines for Christmas 2023 vary, but here are some general deadlines:

USPS:

  • USPS Ground Advantage — December 16
  • First-Class Mail (including greeting cards) — December 16
  • Priority Mail — December 18
  • Priority Mail Express — December 20

FedEx:

  • FedEx Home Delivery: 1-Day Shipping — December 22
  • 2-Day Shipping — December 21
  • 3-Day Shipping — December 20
  • 4-Day Shipping — December 18
  • 5-Day Shipping – December 15

The USPS gives a more in-depth overview of mailing deadlines, here.

Tips for Getting Mail Out Before the Delay

Christmas tree, Christmas mailbox with a mail truck in front of a merry christmas can

If you’re worried about getting your mail out on time before the Christmas rush, here are some quick tips to avoid any delays with your mail delivery service:

  1. Get your mail out ASAP. Start early if you can
  2. Use Priority or Express Mail services
  3. Double-check addresses
  4. Include return addresses in case there are any issues
  5. Avoid peak shipping days
  6. Send letters, cards and mail online through the LetterStream portal so you never have to set foot in the Post Office
  7. Track your shipments and track your letters

You’re probably not going to be using Certified Mail to send your holiday mail, however, if you use it for other purposes or you just decide to, here is where you can track your USPS Certified Mail on our website.

LetterStream Is Open on Certain Postal Holidays

Ok, now let’s talk a little bit about LetterStream during other postal mail holidays. A fun fact about us is that there are a lot of holidays when the USPS is closed, however, we can still get your mail out for you!

You may be wondering how that is possible. If the Post Office is closed during postal holidays, then how is mail being delivered through LetterStream? Good question!

LetterStream is a printing and mailing company that works with the USPS. Just because the front counters are empty and the doors are closed to the public doesn’t mean that the back-office staff (those behind the scenes of the United States Postal Service aren’t still working hard). Because of that, we can have our dedicated team work on getting your mailings out the door and a driver to pick up the letters that need to be delivered.

Even though the mail may not be delivered on the actual holiday because USPS drivers are off, that doesn’t mean that we can’t get the internal process done beforehand. This allows us to be ahead of the curve for the next day’s mailing schedule. If mail goes out the door during a postal holiday then that means it is ready to be mailed the next day, whereas if we were closed we’d still have to do our internal part the next day. Basically, we’re one step ahead of the Post Office by being open on certain postal holidays.

The USPS accepts and processes our mail on President’s Day (Washington’s birthday), Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, MLK Day and Juneteenth.

Click here to view our Postal Holidays 2024 Schedule which gives you a complete overview of when the Post Office is closed, when LetterStream is closed and when we are open and mailing even if the Post Office isn’t open.

Happy Holidays and Happy Mailing!

The USPS Holiday Season is Here! Let’s Give Thanks!

As we are in the thick of the holiday season with the increase in USPS holiday mail, our hearts are filled with warmth and joy over here at LetterStream. This time of year allows us to reflect on the abundance of blessings that surround us, from the meaningful connections we’ve forged to the challenges we’ve overcome together. As we are navigating our busy season with the increase of USPS holiday mail, we can’t help but reflect on how thankful we are for being able to still produce fast, perfect mail for our customers after all of these years.

In the spirit of gratitude, we invite you to join us in appreciating the moments that make this season so special. Here are a few ways we are truly grateful this holiday season and every day: 

Expressing Thanks for Team Collaborations

LetterStream’s success as a printing and mailing company is a testament to the incredible team that works diligently behind the scenes. This holiday season, we extend our deepest gratitude to each team member who contributes their unique skills and perspectives, fostering an environment of creativity and innovation. Together, we’ve achieved milestones and faced challenges head-on, emerging stronger and more resilient.  

As a team, we just held our Q3 Bonus Party and Thanksgiving Dinner. Our theme this year was, indeed, gratitude. Every quarter we do a bonus party for our staff because we want to let them know how grateful we are for the hard work they do, the mail they help produce and their dedication to not only LetterStream as a company but to our customers that we work with daily. It’s our way to say “thank you” to them each quarter.   

This bonus party felt a little extra special this year. As a company and as individuals we have so much to be grateful for and we not only wanted to showcase that at our dinner but it’s also something we are remembering and practicing for the rest of this quarter (and beyond).   

Appreciating Our Loyal Customers

To our valued customers, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation for the trust you’ve placed in us over the last 20 years. Your unwavering support has been the driving force behind our commitment to excellence.

Our loyalty and commitment has always been about treasuring people. In fact, that is our top core value; “we believe in the tremendous value of people and that all should be treasured.” With that said, we are excited to continue our growth into 2024 while finding new ways to continuously improve our processes to help add value and ease for our customers.

This holiday season, we celebrate the relationships we’ve built and look forward to continuing our journey together in the coming year. 

Reflecting on Community Engagement

Beyond the office walls, our commitment to gratitude extends to the communities we serve. Whether through charitable initiatives or local partnerships, LetterStream is dedicated to making a positive impact.

This year we contributed donations to the different Maui wildfire relief efforts to help individuals and animals affected by the fires. We are also currently participating in the St. Mary’s Food Drive and Toys for Tots program to help those in need.

This holiday season, we encourage everyone to find opportunities to give back to those in need. Not only does it bring joy to those who are less fortunate but it also helps build the collective strength that comes from supporting one another.    

First-class mail on top of Certified Mail envelopes with Christmas decor around it for usps holiday mail

Counting Our Blessings in a Digital World

In a fast-paced, digital age, taking a moment to unplug and appreciate the simple joys can be transformative. Even though we are a SAAS company, we still encourage everyone to embrace the beauty of simplicity through meaningful in-person connections.

Maybe that looks like sitting down with someone for a meal or coffee, bringing in donuts or cookies to team members as a small token of appreciation, writing a handwritten note, or giving a nice card. Maybe it’s as simple as telling someone that you appreciate them or saying “thanks for being such a great help and I’m so thankful we worked on this project together to get the job done.”

Recognizing the power of personal connections in an increasingly virtual landscape is so important to remember.  

All-in-all, let’s come together to celebrate the spirit of gratitude this holiday season! We are so thankful for the relationships we’ve cultivated, the challenges that have shaped us, and the opportunities that lie ahead. As we express our gratitude, may we inspire others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of positivity that extends far beyond the holiday season!

And, just a friendly reminder to check the USPS website or our blog post for the postal holidays schedule so you can plan your USPS holiday mail and printing and mailing needs accordingly.

Remember: There is always something to be GRATEFUL for.   

With so much gratitude and appreciation,   

The LetterStream Team  

Sending Mail on Postal Holidays

Can you send mail on USPS postal holidays? Sure you can!

Let’s face it, we don’t all get the same paid holidays that the United States Postal Service (USPS) employees get. In 2012, the USPS is closed for 10 holidays.

However, if you are working and you need your mail to go out, LetterStream has the ability to mail your letters on many postal holidays.  While the post office front counters are closed and mail carriers are off, there are some holidays that the post office back office is still on duty.

So, “Yes”, the USPS accepts and processes our mail on President’s Day (Washington’s birthday), Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, MLK Day and Juneteenth.

If you are like us and are working those days, feel free to send your mail to us and we’ll get it mailed on the Holiday for you!