# 2026 Holiday Order-By Dates: USPS Christmas Send-By Dates and When to Order Gifts for Each Occasion

USPS's recommended 2026 send-by dates for delivery before Christmas in the lower 48 are Thursday, December 17 for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, Friday, December 18 for Priority Mail and Saturday, December 19 for Priority Mail Express. To get a Personalized Gifts Delivered gift box there in time, order by Tuesday, December 15.

> **Christmas: Friday, December 25**
>
> Order by Tuesday, December 15 for delivery in time.
>
> [Send this gift](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/order?occasion=christmas)

*We sell a $35 logo mug gift box, printed, packed and shipped to each person's address. This guide covers the other options too.*

**Key facts**
- **Thursday, December 17** is USPS's recommended send-by date for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, for expected delivery before December 25 in the lower 48 ([USPS](https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm), as of Oct 29, 2026).
- **Friday, December 18** for Priority Mail; **Saturday, December 19** for Priority Mail Express (same page).
- **Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026**, three weeks before Christmas ([Hebcal](https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah-2026)).
- **The USPS dates are recommendations:** "Actual delivery date may vary and is based on origin, destination, Post Office™ acceptance time, and other conditions."
- **Personalized Gifts Delivered order-by dates:** Thanksgiving Monday, November 16, Hanukkah Monday, November 23, Christmas Tuesday, December 15, New Year Monday, December 21. Each date covers printing your logo, packing and shipping.

## What Is the Last Day to Ship for Christmas 2026?

For an address in the lower 48 states, the last USPS send-by date for Christmas is **Saturday, December 19**, by Priority Mail Express. Ground Advantage closes two days earlier, on **Thursday, December 17**.

| USPS service (lower 48) | Send by, for expected delivery before Dec 25 |
|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Thu Dec 17 |
| First-Class Mail | Thu Dec 17 |
| Priority Mail | Fri Dec 18 |
| Priority Mail Express | Sat Dec 19 |

USPS heads the table "Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25" ([USPS 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines](https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm), as of Oct 29, 2026). On a normal week, "Ground Advantage packages are delivered in 2-5 days" ([USPS Ground Advantage](https://www.usps.com/ship/ground-advantage.htm)).

USPS's dates for addresses outside the lower 48, as USPS printed them (we don't ship to these):

| Destination (USPS) | Send by |
|---|---|
| Military APO/FPO/DPO, Ground Advantage | Wed Nov 4 |
| Military APO/FPO/DPO, First-Class Mail and Priority Mail | Wed Dec 9 |
| Military APO/FPO/DPO, Priority Mail Express Military | Wed Dec 16 (not offered to ZIPs starting 093) |
| International: First-Class Package International and Priority Mail International; Priority Mail Express International | Wed Dec 9; Wed Dec 16 |
| Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and US territories, Ground Advantage | No single date: these packages "will have a 10-day or more service expectation" |
| Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and US territories, First-Class Mail, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express | Thu Dec 17, Fri Dec 18 and Sat Dec 19 |

## When Should I Order Gifts for Each Holiday?

Here are our order-by dates for Personalized Gifts Delivered boxes, next to USPS's own dates. Every gifting date for the year: [the gift calendar](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/gift-calendar).

| Occasion | 2026 date | USPS send-by (lower 48) | Order Personalized Gifts Delivered by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Thu Nov 26 | Not listed | Mon Nov 16 |
| Hanukkah | Begins at sundown Fri Dec 4 | No date; USPS says it "is earlier this year so please adjust accordingly" | Mon Nov 23 |
| Christmas | Fri Dec 25 | Thu Dec 17 (Ground Advantage), Fri Dec 18 (Priority Mail), Sat Dec 19 (Priority Mail Express) | Tue Dec 15 |
| Kwanzaa | Sat Dec 26 to Fri Jan 1 | The Christmas dates (delivery before Dec 25) | Not sold as a Kwanzaa gift (see below) |
| New Year | Fri Jan 1, 2027 | Not listed | Mon Dec 21 |

Hanukkah dates: [Hebcal](https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah-2026). Kwanzaa dates and the Hanukkah note: [USPS](https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm).

Employee gifts follow the same dates; for an office party or the last workday before the break, count back from that day instead. Teams spread across many homes: [gifts for remote employees](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/employee-gifts/remote-employees).

## How We Work Out Our Order-By Dates

Each order-by date is the last day a complete order (your design, your address list and payment) can come in and still arrive before the occasion, even at the slow end of the estimate. We count back from the day the box should arrive:

| Step | Time we allow |
|---|---|
| You finish the order: logo, address list and payment | By the order-by date |
| We print, pack and ship | Up to 2 business days |
| The carrier delivers | Up to 5 business days, the slow end of our 2–5 business-day estimate |
| Weekends and holidays | Not counted: business days are Monday to Friday |

The clock starts when the order is complete. If the address list arrives two days after the logo and payment, the 2 business days start then.

Ships within 2 business days of a complete order (your design, your address list and payment). Ships by USPS Ground Advantage or UPS Ground, with tracking, and usually arrives 2–5 business days after it ships. Delivery dates are carrier estimates, not guarantees, and run slower in mid-December.

Every date here is a planning date. Before you pay, the order page shows the date your order ships by and the date it is expected by. This page quotes USPS's holiday tables only; our order-by dates use our 2–5 business-day estimate, which covers both carriers we use.

## What Each Holiday Date Means for Your Gift

- **Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26):** a thank-you that lands before the December pile. Ideas and card wording: [Thanksgiving client gifts](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/gift-calendar/thanksgiving-client-gifts).
- **Hanukkah (sundown Friday, December 4, to nightfall Saturday, December 12):** three weeks before Christmas, so a gift timed for Christmas misses all eight nights. USPS says so on its own page: "Please note that Hanukkah (Dec. 4 - Dec. 12) is earlier this year so please adjust accordingly." Order by Monday, November 23; more in Hanukkah 2026 client gifts. In 2027 Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 24 ([Hebcal](https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah-2027)), so one December shipment covers both.
- **Christmas (Friday, December 25):** for an office address, the real deadline is the client's last day in before the break. Running late: [last-minute client gifts that still arrive before Christmas](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/gift-calendar/last-minute-client-christmas-gifts).
- **Kwanzaa (Saturday, December 26, to Friday, January 1):** USPS lists it beside Christmas. We don't sell our box as a Kwanzaa gift; for a mixed client list, a season's greeting or a New Year message fits everyone.
- **New Year (Friday, January 1, 2027):** a "thank you for a great year" that arrives after the rush: [New Year client gifts](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/gift-calendar/new-year-client-gifts).

## Can I Pack and Mail the Gifts Myself Instead?

Yes: you can mail gifts yourself until USPS's dates, December 17 to 19, but those dates leave out the work before the post office.

- **The time:** by our estimate, 25 logo mug gift boxes take about 9 hours of hands-on work (a mug printer and its proof, about 8 separate supply orders, 25 labels, 25 cards, about 3½ hours of packing, then 25 tracking numbers), plus a week or more waiting for supplies to arrive.
- **The cost:** about $38 a box with USPS counter postage and about $34 with commercial postage, with $1,192.84 up front for the mugs, the supply packs and 25 postage labels, and leftovers ([DIY vs ordering, every price linked](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/compare/diy-mug-gift-box-vs-ordering), as of Oct 29, 2026). Per box, that comes out about even with our $35, before your time.
- **One slip costs a second round:** a mug packed without a collar can break at the handle and must be bought, packed and shipped again; a stale address sends a box away and back; a typo on 25 printed cards means printing 25 again.

Ordering from us, the order-by date is the only date you watch. Add your logo (or type your website and we'll find it), or a photo or a few words for a personal gift; check the preview of your mug and card; add your address list; and pay $35 per box. We print, pack and ship each box to its own address.

Missed our Christmas date? Send a card or e-card now, and a New Year gift by Monday, December 21.

## What to Know Before You Order

- **Where we ship:** the lower 48 states and Washington, DC, except Texas for now. No Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, other US territories, APO/FPO or international addresses.
- **The treats:** LINDOR truffles contain milk, soy and barley malt (gluten); read the labels. Our box is not certified kosher.
- **Breakage and address problems:** If a box arrives broken, send us a photo within 7 days of delivery and we'll reship it free. If a box goes astray because of an address on your list, we'll reship it to the corrected address for what the reship costs us, with no markup, and tell you the amount before we send it.

## Where Personalized Gifts Delivered Fits Before Your Deadline

Every date on this page is a deadline someone has to pack for. With Personalized Gifts Delivered, that is us: our order-by date covers printing your logo, packing and shipping. A [custom logo mug gift box, shipped to each client, no minimum](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/custom-logo-mug-gift-box) holds an 11 oz white ceramic mug with your logo printed small, a 1.5 oz packet of Ghirardelli premium hot cocoa and 4 Lindt LINDOR milk chocolate truffles, black tissue closed with a gold "Happy Holidays" seal, and your printed card on top, in a matte-black gift box with a magnetic lid, $35 per box, delivered.

You check the mug and every person's card (each greets its person by first name) before you pay. Each box is packed by hand in foam and a plain white carton, and when the boxes ship you get one email with a spreadsheet of recipient, ship date, carrier, tracking number and $35 per box.

Before the date that matters to you: [send a box to each client](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/order?occasion=christmas).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the last day to ship for Christmas 2026 with USPS?

For expected delivery before December 25 in the lower 48, USPS recommends sending by Thursday, December 17 for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, Friday, December 18 for Priority Mail and Saturday, December 19 for Priority Mail Express. USPS says actual delivery may vary.

### When do I need to order a custom logo gift for Christmas delivery?

Order a custom logo gift from Personalized Gifts Delivered by Tuesday, December 15 for Christmas delivery; that date covers printing your logo, packing and shipping each box to its own address. It allows up to 2 business days to ship plus the slow end of our 2–5 business-day estimate. Delivery dates are carrier estimates, not guarantees.

### When does Hanukkah start in 2026?

Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026 and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12, according to Hebcal. To have a Personalized Gifts Delivered box arrive before the first night, order by Monday, November 23.

### Are USPS holiday send-by dates a promise?

USPS's holiday send-by dates aren't a promise: USPS calls them recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25, and its page says the actual delivery date may vary with origin, destination, acceptance time and other conditions.

### What if I miss the Christmas order-by date?

If you miss Personalized Gifts Delivered's Christmas order-by date of Tuesday, December 15, send a card or e-card now and a New Year gift, ordered by Monday, December 21. After Tuesday, December 15, the slow end of our estimate no longer lands before Christmas.

## Sources

1. USPS, [2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines](https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm), as of Oct 29, 2026.
2. USPS, [USPS Ground Advantage](https://www.usps.com/ship/ground-advantage.htm), as of Oct 29, 2026.
3. Hebcal, [Chanukah 2026](https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah-2026) and [Chanukah 2027](https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/chanukah-2027), as of Oct 29, 2026.
4. Personalized Gifts Delivered, [DIY hot cocoa mug gift box vs ordering one](https://personalizedgiftsdelivered.com/compare/diy-mug-gift-box-vs-ordering): retail prices for the supplies and postage, as of Oct 29, 2026.