Mark Pack

Last international posting dates for Christmas are here! I can nearly hear the sleigh bells playing already, it’s nearly Christmas time, hip hip hooray!

International Airmail
Friday 8 December for: South & Central America, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Far East (except Japan), Australia and New Zealand

Monday 11 December for: USA, Canada, Japan and Eastern Europe

Wednesday 13 December for: Western Europe

International Surface Mail
Monday 2 October for: all non-European destinations (except USA, Canada, Middle East, Far East and South Africa)

Friday 13 October for: Middle East and Far East (except Hong Kong and Singapore)

Friday 27 October for: USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa

Friday 24 November for: Eastern Europe, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Malta and Iceland

Friday 1 December for: Western Europe

I know what I’ll be singing all day now:

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don’t want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don’t think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won’t have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door, that’s the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian

There’s lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I’d feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage
I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too

(With thanks to www.carolingcorner.com for reminding me of the lyrics in the second verse).