The joyous journey of Christmas mail
U.S. postal workers have always been the true carriers of the holiday spirit
A pop-up holiday post office in Washington, D.C., 1922.
(Science History Images / Alamy Stock Photo)This holiday season, the U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver 15 billion pieces of mail, including some 850 million packages. During its busiest
Children line up to mail their letters to Santa Claus at special mailboxes in Downey, California, 1947.
(Underwood Archives/UIG/REX/Shutterstock)Children have relied on the post for delivering their handwritten notes to the North Pole since at least the 1870s. Technically, the policy was to des
(Underwood Archives/UIG/REX/Shutterstock)
Christmas mail being sorted in New York City in November 1918.
(American Photo Archive / Alamy Stock Photo)
A post office worker dressed as Santa Claus on Dec. 14, 1966.
(Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo)
In 1924, New York's December mail volume was so high the post office rented extra space in the Brooklyn Armory.
(Courtesy Smithsonian National Postal Museum)
Sorting holiday packages during WWII.
(Public Domain/Courtesy Smithsonian National Postal Museum)
Carriers set out from the General Post Office in New York City to deliver mail in 1955.
(Vecchio/Three Lions/Getty Images)
Mail pours down a chute at the General Post Office in New York City near Christmas in 1955.
(Vecchio/Three Lions/Getty Images)
People queuing along Wall Street in New York to mail their Christmas cards and packages at a pop-up post office.
(Sherman/Getty Images)
Circa 1950s.
(Smithsonian National Postal Museum)
