HOLIDAY CHEER: For those of you looking to send Christmas wishes to a friend or relative who is serving in the military, the U.S. Postal Service has offered a list of recommended deadlines to make sure your loved ones get their gifts by Dec. 25.

The Postal Service suggests sending cards and packages to military APO/FPO/DPO addresses overseas by these dates:

For mail addressed with APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP codes beginning with 093 — to service men and women in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East

• Nov. 25 is the Space Available Mail date

• Dec. 2 is the date for Parcel Airlift Mail, Priority Mail and First-Class Mail Letters and Cards

• Priority Mail Express Military Service is not available for these addresses.

For mail addressed with APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP codes beginning with 090-092, 094-098, 340 and 962-966 — to service men and women in the Europe/Atlantic area, Japan/Korea/Pacific Islands/Far East and Central America/South America/Caribbean

• Nov. 25 is the Space Available Mail date

• Dec. 2 is the Parcel Airlift Mail date

• Dec. 9 is the Priority Airlift Mail date

• Dec. 16 is the Priority Mail Express Military Service date

The Postal Service Retail Ground date is already passed if you want your Christmas package to make it overseas by Christmas.

Meanwhile, if you sending your Christmas love to a Domestic location

• Dec. 15 is the Postal Service Retail Ground date

• Dec. 20 is the First-Class Mail date

• Dec. 21 is the Priority Mail date

• Dec. 23 is the Priority Mail Express date

For more information about sending mail to those serving in the military, go to about.usps.com/publications/pub640/pub640_tech.htm

Happy mailings!