Countdown to Christmas begins - Mailing Deadlines Loom

Countdown to Christmas begins - mark these international mailing dates on your calendar*

Two of the surest signs that a year is nearing its end are (1) when Christmas decorations start appearing in the shops - and (2) when New Zealand Post reminds you about international mailing deadlines for Christmas gifts.

Yes, Santa Claus may be able to promise free overnight delivery worldwide on Christmas morning, but a chronic shortage of flying reindeer in the real world means it pays to plan ahead if you want your gifts to reach friends or family overseas by Christmas day.

Which means you may want to circle the dates below on your calendar, programme them into your smartphone, or have them tattooed on the inside of your eyelids - whatever it takes to remind you send your Christmas gifts on time.

The final international mailing dates to ensure delivery by Christmas 2011 are as follows:

As always, it pays to mail before those final deadlines, and New Zealand Post recommends this approach to ensure a less stressful Christmas, Channukah, Kwanzaa or Festivus for our customers, spokesman Michael Tull said.

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