Christmas shipping deadlines 2026 — the last days to order photo gifts
- 7 min read
By The SimplePrints Team
Here are our Christmas shipping deadlines 2026 in one line: in the US, order by Monday, December 14 for Standard shipping, Wednesday, December 16 for Expedited or Thursday, December 17 for Rush, before 11:59 AM PST, for your gift to arrive in time for Friday, December 25. In Canada, the last days are Thursday, December 10 (Standard), Monday, December 14 (Expedited) and Wednesday, December 16 (Rush).
Below you'll find the same dates for US Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, help choosing a shipping speed, and what to do if December gets away from you. Looking for Mother's Day, Diwali or another occasion? Our page with the shipping dates for every 2026 holiday has them all.
Everything we make is handmade in the USA, which is exactly why these dates come a little earlier than you might expect: your order spends a few days with us, being made by hand by real people, before it ever meets a delivery truck.
Christmas shipping deadlines 2026 at a glance
Order by 11:59 AM PST on the date shown. That's just before noon on the West Coast, not midnight.
| Order by 11:59 AM PST | US Thanksgiving (Thu, Nov 26) | Hanukkah (Fri, Dec 4) | Christmas (Fri, Dec 25) | Kwanzaa (Sat, Dec 26) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Standard | Fri, Nov 13 | Mon, Nov 23 | Mon, Dec 14 | Mon, Dec 14 |
| US Expedited | Tue, Nov 17 | Tue, Nov 24 | Wed, Dec 16 | Wed, Dec 16 |
| US Rush | Wed, Nov 18 | Wed, Nov 25 | Thu, Dec 17 | Thu, Dec 17 |
| Canada Standard | Tue, Nov 10 | Wed, Nov 18 | Thu, Dec 10 | Thu, Dec 10 |
| Canada Expedited | Fri, Nov 13 | Fri, Nov 20 | Mon, Dec 14 | Mon, Dec 14 |
| Canada Rush | Tue, Nov 17 | Tue, Nov 24 | Wed, Dec 16 | Wed, Dec 16 |
| International Expedited (estimate) | Tue, Nov 10 | Wed, Nov 18 | Thu, Dec 10 | Thu, Dec 10 |
| International Rush (estimate) | Fri, Nov 13 | Fri, Nov 20 | Mon, Dec 14 | Mon, Dec 14 |
International dates vary by country. The checkout in the SimplePrints app shows the most accurate estimate for yours before you pay.
Sending something for the first day of Advent (Sunday, November 29)? In the US, order by Monday, November 16 for Standard, Wednesday, November 18 for Expedited or Thursday, November 19 for Rush.
All of these dates are estimates. Carriers get busy in December and the weather does what it likes, so treat each date as the last safe day to order, not the ideal one.
Holiday shipping deadlines 2026, holiday by holiday
US Thanksgiving — Thursday, November 26
The earliest deadline of the season is the one that sneaks up on people. For US Thanksgiving, order by Friday, November 13 for Standard shipping, or by Wednesday, November 18 with Rush. A photo book passed around the table after dinner is a lovely way to catch the whole family up on the year.
Hanukkah — first day Friday, December 4
Hanukkah comes early this year, so its deadlines land before most of us have started thinking about December. US Standard closes Monday, November 23 and Rush closes Wednesday, November 25, the day before Thanksgiving. In Canada, Standard closes Wednesday, November 18.
Christmas — Friday, December 25
The big one. US Standard closes Monday, December 14, Expedited on Wednesday, December 16 and Rush on Thursday, December 17. In Canada, Standard closes Thursday, December 10. For gifts going overseas, international Expedited is estimated at Thursday, December 10 and international Rush at Monday, December 14.
Kwanzaa — begins Saturday, December 26
Kwanzaa shares Christmas's dates exactly: US Standard by Monday, December 14, Expedited by Wednesday, December 16 and Rush by Thursday, December 17.
Standard, Expedited or Rush — which should you pick?
All three get your gift there. What they change is how much breathing room you have, and the price.
- Standard is the everyday choice and costs the least. Most US orders arrive within about 5–10 days. If the Standard date hasn't passed yet, this is the one.
- Expedited is the middle ground, for when you're running a little behind but not panicking yet.
- Rush is the fastest option and the most expensive. It's what to reach for once the Standard and Expedited dates have gone by.
Whichever you choose, checkout shows an estimated delivery date before you pay, so you can check it against the day you actually need the gift. Our rule of thumb: if Standard still makes it, choose Standard and put the difference towards another gift. If it's deadline week, upgrade rather than hope.
The last day to order a photo book for Christmas
Photo books follow the same shipping dates as everything else we make: Monday, December 14 for US Standard and Thursday, December 17 for US Rush. What's different about a book is the time it takes you. Choosing photos from a year of camera roll, arranging the pages and writing captions is a happy job, but it's rarely a one-evening one.
So the real deadline for a photo book is the day you need to start. Give yourself a weekend or two before the shipping cutoff. If you're making a family year in review book, begin with the months you already know will be in it, and fill in the rest as you go.
Every book is handmade in New York, which is why it needs a few days with us before it ships. Our books start at $19.99 for an 8×8 softcover with 20 pages included; the 8×8 hardcover is $39.99 and the 12×12 hardcover $69.99. You can make one in your browser at create.simpleprints.com or in the SimplePrints app, and preview it before you order.
Six ways to make sure your gift arrives on time
- Order early. The dates above are the last safe days, not the best ones. If your project is finished, order it. There's no prize for waiting.
- Mind the clock. The cutoff is 11:59 AM PST, which is 2:59 PM on the East Coast. An order placed after dinner on deadline day has already missed it.
- Read the preview one last time. A misspelled name or a wrong year is easy to fix on screen and impossible to fix once it's printed.
- Check the address twice. A missing apartment number or a typo in the street is the most common reason a package comes back. For an international order, include a phone number too.
- Ship it straight to them. Sending to grandparents across the country? Put their address in at checkout and skip the re-wrapping and the post office queue.
- Group gifts going to the same house. Several gifts for one household can travel in a single order to one address, which can help you save on shipping.
What to make before the deadline
Not sure what to give? Here are a few favorites for this time of year.
- Photo books. The year in pictures, a first Christmas, the trip everyone still talks about. From $19.99, with 20 pages included.
- Wall calendars. A wall calendar keeps giving all year: twelve months of family photos, 8.5×11″ on lustre-finish paper, from $29.99. You choose the starting month, so a calendar wrapped this Christmas can begin in January 2027, and you can add birthdays and anniversaries as custom dates. For this season's savings, see our current offers.
- Photo cards. Holiday cards made from your own photos: photo cards are a classic 5×7 on 100 lb. cover stock, with envelopes included, in sets of 12 to 200. Single-sided sets start at $14.99 for 12 and double-sided at $19.99 for 12. Cards still have a second trip to make through the mail, so aim for the Standard date.
- Canvas and metal prints. A Christmas canvas of this year's family photo comes gallery-wrapped on a 1.5″ wood frame, ready to hang, from $54.99. For something smaller, a metal desk print on a solid wood stand starts at $17.99.
- Mini photo books. Made for stockings: a set of three 3.5″ × 3.5″ softcover books, up to 50 pages each, is $28.
Missed the deadline? Send a gift card
It happens to the best of us. If Rush has come and gone, a SimplePrints gift card can still make it in time. It's delivered by email, usually within one business day, so it can be in their inbox for Christmas morning even when every shipping date has passed.
Choose any amount from $10 to $500. It never expires and works on everything we make, so they can turn their own favorite photos into a book, a calendar or a canvas whenever they're ready. Print the email and tuck it into a card, and there's still something to unwrap.
Frequently asked questions
What is the last day to order for Christmas 2026 delivery?
In the US, order by Thursday, December 17, before 11:59 AM PST, with Rush shipping. Standard closes Monday, December 14 and Expedited Wednesday, December 16. In Canada, the last day is Wednesday, December 16 with Rush.
What is the last day to order a photo book for Christmas?
The same dates apply to photo books: Monday, December 14 for US Standard and Thursday, December 17 for US Rush, before 11:59 AM PST. Leave yourself time to design the book before then, because choosing the photos usually takes longer than people expect.
What time is the order cutoff on deadline day?
11:59 AM Pacific time on the date shown. That's just before noon on the West Coast and 2:59 PM on the East Coast, not midnight.
Are the holiday shipping deadlines 2026 guaranteed?
They're estimates. Packages can be delayed by carriers, weather and other things outside our control, so ordering ahead of the deadline is always the safer choice. Checkout shows an estimated delivery date before you pay, and our team is happy to help at hello@simpleprints.com.
When should I order for Hanukkah 2026?
The first day of Hanukkah is Friday, December 4. In the US, order by Monday, November 23 for Standard, Tuesday, November 24 for Expedited or Wednesday, November 25 for Rush.
I missed the deadline. What can I give instead?
A SimplePrints gift card. It's delivered by email, usually within one business day, comes in any amount from $10 to $500 and never expires.
