If you have a friend or family member abroad, get posting your Christmas cards and parcels - ASAP!

"Whether they're around the corner or around the world, make sure your loved ones know you're thinking of them" is the heart-warming message of An Post's latest Christmas advertisements. Everyone LOVES getting a card or a parcel in the post especially at Christmas as to quote Joey Tribbiani it's a time of "giving and receiving as well as having and sharing." If you want to send love this Christmas, bear in mind that the latest date for guaranteed parcel delivery by standard mail to Australia, Asia and the US is Friday 7 December, while parcels to European countries should be in the post by Wednesday 12 December and for Great Britain, by Tuesday 18 December. A variety of different circumstances, from work obligations to family members being abroad, prevent people from physically being together at Christmas but luckily, An Post is here to help connect people with their nearest and dearest. An Post's latest Christmas ads feature real stories from people who won’t be spending Christmas with their families this year, sending surprise personal messages to loved ones, and assuring them that a special Christmas card or parcel is in the post to them. The trio of ads feature Naval Service member, Katie O'Leary who will be working on board the LE Samuel Beckett this Christmas who is sending love to her father, newly married Conor Biddle and Sean Smith who couldn't decide what house to spend Christmas in and so decided to deviate from tradition this year and opt for some winter sun and Alison Griffin who is in Vietnam sending love to her family back in Limerick. The family members of the people starring in the ads had no idea about the campaign until it reached their screens and you can re-create this wonderful surprise by sending a letter or parcel to a loved one who isn't at home this year. Speaking about the ads, Commercial Director of An Post, Fiona Heffernan, said that they:

"Really bring home the power of personal messages in parcels, letters and cards as they travel across the country and around the world, reinforcing human connection and the expression of love at Christmas time."

If you want to make your letter or parcel extra special, limited edition Christmas stamps celebrating Ireland’s favourite Christmas traditions, including "Meeting Loved Ones at the Airport", "Attending Midnight Mass" and "Christmas dinner" are available now in all post offices.