The Christmas mail season is at full speed. The first deadline for Christmas parcels is on Friday, December 7. All parcels to be sent outside Europe must be posted by that date at the latest. Parcels to European countries must be posted by December 13, parcels to the Nordic and Baltic countries will reach their destinations in time if posted by December 17.
A postal parcel is an economic and reliable way to send gifts to friends and family. Last year, Itella Posti's logistics center processed up to 200,000 parcels per day during the busiest season before Christmas, while the average number of parcels per day was 115,000 at other times.This year, a similar number of parcels is expected, and Posti has prepared for this by hiring a record high number of Christmas helpers. Finns send the majority of their parcels to Sweden, but many are also sent to other Nordic countries, Germany, Great Britain, the United States, and Estonia.
The deadlines for Christmas cards to be sent to destinations outside Finland depend on whether Priority or Economy class is used. For Priority class, the last possible date for Nordic countries is December 18, for other European countries December 17, for Canada and the United Stated December 14, and for other countries December 12. If the inexpensive but slower Economy class is used, cards sent to distant destinations (the United States, Canada, and other countries outside Europe) must be posted no later than on Friday, December 7. The last possible date for Europe is December 13, and for Nordic countries December 14.
Remember that for all Christmas mail, cards as well as parcels, early posting and the correct address ensure arrival by Christmas. Precise address information includes the recipient's name, street, number of the building, stairway and apartment indication, postal code, and the post office name. When sending a parcel, the parcel must be packed so that it can endure mechanical processing.
