Get those holiday packages ready for mailing soon, postal officials urged this week.

And buy your Christmas stamps, too. The stamp features leaping reindeer on backgrounds of red, purple, blue and green.

Almost 8,000 of the holiday stamps have been sold in the Natchez area, said Tommy Probst, Natchez Post Office supervisor.

Customers mailing packages should try to get all domestic Christmas parcels into the mail by Dec. 1, said Probst.

As for international packages, Probst said they already should have been sent.

&uot;Get those overseas packages to the post office as soon as possible,&uot; he said.

For customers mailing packages two weeks before Christmas, Priority mail may be the best choice.

Priority mail, although not guaranteed, has a standard of two to three days anywhere in the United States.

Those waiting until one week before Christmas may opt for Express mail, Probst said.

Express mail is guaranteed to be delivered in one to two days anywhere in the United States.

Natchez Post Office hours are 8:30 a.m to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the downtown branch.

The Tracetown branch is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

Vidalia, La., Postmaster Gene Cobb said the Christmas rush already is noticeable.

An increase in traffic and parcel shipping has the Vidalia Post Office employees working hard, he said.

&uot;We have a really large supply of Christmas stamps and Christmas shipping boxes,&uot; Cobb said.

The Vidalia Post Office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 12 noon.