SIXTEEN BILLION CARDS, LETTERS AND PACKAGES

Throughout the holidays, the Postal Service expects to deliver more than 16 billion cards, letter and packages.

"We're the holiday mailing and shipping experts," says Postmaster General John Potter. "We've been delivering the holidays for the past 234 years, and we're proud to deliver excellent service to our customers, especially during this busy time of year."

USPS also expects 97 million customers to visit the Post Office during the holidays, 30 million pounds of mail to be delivered to overseas military installations, including war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 2.1 billion holiday stamps to be printed.

More than 41 million customers will skip the trip to the Post Office this holiday season and take advantage of the Postal Service's convenient online shipping at usps.com. Customers can print shipping labels, pay for postage and request free package pickup. USPS will deliver free shipping supplies, including the popular Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes.