Bags of shopping everywhere, reams of wrapping paper, curling ribbon and battling sticky tape — admit it, presents are one of the best parts of Christmas.

Many of us will have them under the tree on Christmas Eve ready for the next day's festivities — but for others, giving loved ones the perfect gift involves a bit more planning.

If you're sending gifts abroad from Huddersfield , you'll need to pop them in the post a little earlier, depending on whether you're posting to an auntie in Australia or your grandma in Greece.

Take a look at this year's Christmas stamps, designed by artist David Holmes

Royal Mail recommended posting dates:

International Standard postage (formerly Airmail) and all International Tracking and Signature services (formerly Airsure and International Signed For):

  • Friday December 4: Africa, Middle East
  • Monday December 7: Asia, Cyprus, Far East, Japan, Eastern Europe (excluding Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia)
  • Tuesday December 8: Caribbean, Central and South America
  • Thursday December 10: Greece, Australia, New Zealand
  • Monday December 14: Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland
  • Tuesday December 15: Canada, Finland. Sweden, USA
  • Wednesday December 16: Austria, Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain
  • Thursday December 17: France
  • Friday December 18: Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland
Royal Mail has announced plans to recruit 19,000 workers to help deal with the seasonal increase in post and parcels.
Royal Mail has announced plans to recruit 19,000 workers to help deal with the seasonal increase in post and parcels.

International Standard HM Forces Mail - British Forces Post Office (BFPO):

  • Friday November 27: Operational BFPOs
  • Friday December 11: Static BFPOs

UK Inland Services

  • Saturday December 19: 2nd Class and Royal Mail Signed For
  • Monday December 21: 1st Class and Royal Mail Signed For
  • Wednesday December 23: Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed
Royal Mail Employee Paula Burnside sorts mail

Want to know when to expect the postman? Here's the Christmas delivery dates:

  • Christmas Eve: Normal deliveries and collections

  • Christmas Day: No deliveries or collections

  • Boxing Day: No deliveries or collections

  • Sunday December 27: No deliveries or collections

  • Monday December 28: No deliveries or collections

  • Tuesday December 29: Normal deliveries and collections

  • Wednesday December 30: Normal deliveries and collections

  • New Year's Eve: Normal deliveries and collections

  • New Year's Day: No deliveries or collections

  • Saturday January 2: Normal deliveries and collections (excluding Scotland)

  • Sunday January 3: No deliveries or collections

  • Monday January 4: Normal deliveries and collections

Christmas

will be here in