Busy day and week at post offices across Oklahoma

The rush to get holiday gifts and cards in the mail and get them to their destinations on time. Monday was the busiest mailing day of the year at the post office. <br/><br/>News on 6 anchor Craig Day

Monday, December 20th 2004, 11:07 am

By: News On 6

The rush to get holiday gifts and cards in the mail and get them to their destinations on time. Monday was the busiest mailing day of the year at the post office.

News on 6 anchor Craig Day says if you have items you need to mail and you want them to make it by Christmas, you'd better act fast.

Take one look at any post office across the country and you'll quickly notice this isn't just any day. It's the busiest mailing day of the year, the last Monday before Christmas. Tulsa resident Billy Harl: "We Christmas shop at the last minute, so they get out at the last minute."

Nationwide, the post office will accept 280-million postmarked cards and letters on this day. Just to give you an idea of how much that is, if you took all of the cards and boxes and other items delivered in the 24 hour period, and put them back to back, they would circle the world four times.

The Dudney family of Tulsa is waiting in line to send Christmas gifts to friends in Texas. Kelly Dudney: "We're cutting it a little bit close, but they really wouldn't mind if it got there on Monday to tell you the truth, but we're hoping it will get there by Friday." For procrastinators, the post office says get your priority letters out by Tuesday if you want them to be delivered by Christmas.

And for the extreme last minute mailer, Express Mail will be delivered on Christmas Day. Postal Service spokesperson Becky Wolfe: "We're really looking for folks to use Priority or Express.â€ Craig Day: â€œDon't wait any longer.â€ Wolfe: â€œIn other words, don't procrastinate any longer. Everything you bought over the weekend, get it in the mail as soon as possible."

And for those waiting on packages, the biggest day for deliveries is the Wednesday before Christmas.

The new automated package centers may help you get in and out of the post office without waiting in long lines. You can mail letters and packages and pay for postage right at the machine using a debit or credit card.