With Christmas rapidly approaching, the window to ship gifts through the post office is beginning to close. According to Kalona Postmaster Gae Walton, if people want their presents to arrive before Christmas Day, they’re going to have to spend a little more. She says standard ground mail is no longer an option, because the shipping deadline for guaranteed pre-Christmas delivery has already passed. However, there are still other means to get packages to their destinations on time.

The deadline for first-class mail is Tuesday, December 20th, priority mail is Wednesday, December 21st, and priority mail express is Friday, December 23rd. For shipping internationally, Walton says it varies depending on where packages are headed. The sooner the packages are shipped and the more you spend to ship it, the more likely it will be at its destination before Christmas. Mail will be delivered on Christmas Eve, but will not be delivered December 26th. That Monday the United States Postal Service is observing the Christmas holiday.