‘Tis the season for mailing Christmas cards and festive gifts. The U.S. Postal service reminds patrons to mail in time for the holidays with key ship-by dates for expected delivery before Dec. 25:

• Friday, Dec. 20 - First-class Mail Service

• Saturday, Dec. 21 - Priority Mail Service

• Monday, Dec. 23 - Priority Mail Express Service

Online options

U.S. Postal Service customers can also ship from the comfort of home with free Priority Mail boxes delivered right to their door. Visit the website usps.com/orderfree boxes. Or they can save time and money with the Click-N-Ship service that lets them pay for postage, print a shipping label and schedule a package pickup at usps.com/savetime.

Customers can also receive a service that lets them know what’s coming in the mail before it arrives. Sign up for Informed Delivery notifications at usps.com/previewmail.

Holiday stamps

A variety of seasonal stamps are available at local Post Offices.

First class “Forever” stamps are 55 cents each, with books of 20 available for $11. Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current first-class mail one-ounce price.

Holiday/winter stamps available at the Great Bend Post Office include Madonna and Child, Holiday Wreaths and Sparkling Holidays (four different Santas). It is out of Winter Berries, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah stamps.

Special hours

Post Offices will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Some Post Offices will have shorter hours on Tuesday, Christmas Eve. For example, the Ellinwood Post Office will close at noon that day.

The Great Bend Post Office, which is normally closed on Sundays, will be open on Sunday, Dec. 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.