Holiday card mailing deadlines 2026: when to mail your cards
First-Class Mail with USPS: send by Thursday, December 17, 2026.
USPS recommends mailing holiday cards by First-Class Mail by Thursday, December 17, 2026, for expected delivery before December 25. The date is the same for Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. To have printed cards from us in hand by then, order by Friday, November 20, 2026, or by Friday, November 6, 2026 for delivery to Alaska or Hawaii.
Updated October 30, 2026
Feel free to quote these dates with a link to this page: https://kyca.cards/en-us/inspiration/holiday-card-mailing-deadlines-2026
USPS’s holiday dates for 2026
These are USPS’s recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25. USPS adds that the actual delivery date may vary with origin, destination, the time the Post Office accepts the mail and other conditions. A holiday card is a First-Class Mail letter.
| With USPS | Send by |
|---|---|
| First-Class Mail, lower 48 states | Thursday, December 17, 2026 |
| First-Class Mail, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories | Thursday, December 17, 2026 |
| Priority Mail | Friday, December 18, 2026 |
| Priority Mail Express | Saturday, December 19, 2026 |
| First-Class Mail to APO/FPO/DPO military addresses | Wednesday, December 9, 2026 |
Order printed holiday cards by
The dates are our own. Order by them, and your cards are expected in hand by Sunday, December 13, 2026. That is 4 days before the carrier’s date, time to write, address and stamp them. The dates count the order page’s working days for its slowest card, holidays excluded.
| Cards delivered to | Order by |
|---|---|
| An address in the lower 48 states | Friday, November 20, 2026 |
| Alaska or Hawaii | Friday, November 6, 2026 |
Holiday cards to other countries
USPS’s holiday page gives no send-by date for cards to other countries. Its date for international packages, by First-Class Package International and Priority Mail International, is Wednesday, December 9, 2026; mail cards abroad by then too.
Find your holiday cards
Choose a design and write your greeting. Our design assistant fits your words onto the card. You see a proof of both sides, and the order page shows when your cards are expected, before you pay.
Choose a design and write your own words on the card. Before you pay, you see a proof of both sides to check the text and layout. Colors may look slightly different on paper than on screen. Then we have your cards printed and shipped to you, or you buy a print-ready PDF to print yourself.
Questions about holiday mailing deadlines
What is the last day to mail Christmas cards in 2026?
USPS recommends Thursday, December 17, 2026 for First-Class Mail, for expected delivery before December 25, in the lower 48 states and in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
USPS: 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines (read October 30, 2026)Is USPS’s date a guarantee?
No. USPS calls them recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25, and says the actual delivery date may vary. Mail earlier if you can.
USPS: 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines (read October 30, 2026)When should I mail holiday cards to military addresses?
By Wednesday, December 9, 2026 for First-Class Mail to APO, FPO and DPO addresses, USPS’s date for every military zone on its page.
USPS: 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines (read October 30, 2026)When should I order printed holiday cards?
By Friday, November 20, 2026 to mail them by USPS’s First-Class date, or by Friday, November 6, 2026 for delivery to Alaska or Hawaii. Your cards are then expected in hand by Sunday, December 13, 2026.
USPS: 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines (read October 30, 2026)
