Is the Post Office Open for Christmas 2021?

In my family, Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Nearly every weekend includes holiday parties, decadent treats, carols, and plenty of holiday cheer to go around. However, it also doesn’t leave much time to take care of all the other details and errands. For example, you may tell yourself that you will finish your holiday shopping tomorrow or take the stack of cards to the post office after the weekend. But, if you wait too long, you will be out of luck. Those who tend to procrastinate may find themselves asking “is the post office open for Christmas 2021?” Should you find yourself needing delivery services on Christmas Day, your local post office won’t be available.

Is the Post Office Open for Christmas 2021?

Christmas is one of the nationally recognized federal holidays. However, this year it falls on a Saturday. While some federal offices and retailers remain open on the weekends, many others do not operate on Saturdays and Sundays. Therefore, they will be observing Christmas on Friday, December 24. However, USPS will continue mail deliveries and pickups as usual on Christmas Eve. Many people often forget that schedules may vary from normal delivery and pickup times. Likewise, pickup times from the blue collection boxes also have different schedules. So, if you have a last-minute drop-off, you will want to send it out before noon to ensure it gets picked up the same day.

For those wanting to know “Is the post office open for Christmas 2021?”, the answer is no. Every location closes on Christmas Day and their workers will have the holiday off. If you aren’t sure which federal holidays affect the post office hours, below you will find a complete list for the coming year. Although you can’t plan always plan for urgent deliveries, keep these in mind so you don’t find yourself rushing around the day before.

New Year’s Day: Friday, December 31, 2021 (observed)
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 17
Presidents Day: Monday, February 21
Memorial Day: Monday, May 30
Juneteenth – Monday, June 20 (observed)
Independence Day: Monday, July 4
Labor Day: Monday, September 5
Columbus Day: Monday, October 10
Veterans Day: Friday, November 11
Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 24
Christmas: Monday, December 26 (observed)

What Are the Shipping Deadlines for December 2021?

If you want to make sure your packages arrive in time for Christmas, you should plan ahead and check the USPS shipping deadlines. One thing to note is that delivery schedules for Alaska, Hawaii, and international destinations require more time as well. The sooner you get to the post office, the cheaper your options are going to be. For regular ground delivery, you need to have your parcels dropped off for delivery by December 15. However, you will still be able to use Priority Mail Express until December 23.

For those shipping internationally, most locations set the deadline for December 13. But, if you are sending your package to an APO/FPO/DPO address, you have until December 16 to ship with the Priority Mail Express Military Service option.

While the post office is extending its delivery times to meet increasing demands, it has also temporarily raised shipping rates during the holiday season. The longer you wait to get to the post office, the more it is going to cost you.

Are There Other Delivery Options on Christmas Day?

If you were hoping to have your parcels arrive on Christmas Day, you will need to make arrangements well before the holiday. There will be no federal and limited private delivery and mail services operating on December 25. Although major providers will still be going about business as usual leading up to Christmas, they have published the deadlines for each class and delivery service. UPS will remain fully operational on Christmas Eve. However, they will only have their Express Critical service available on Christmas Day. Likewise, FedEx will also have all its services available on December 24, but restrict your options to Custom Critical on Christmas Day.

If it is important that your package makes it under the tree, the sooner you get to the post office, the better.

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Jenny Smedra

Jenny Smedra is an avid world traveler, ESL teacher, former archaeologist, and freelance writer. Choosing a life abroad had strengthened her commitment to finding ways to bring people together across language and cultural barriers. While most of her time is dedicated to either working with children, she also enjoys good friends, good food, and new adventures.