The U.S. Postal Service says it's time to get letters in the mail early and officials there have a little North Pole help to spread the message.

Officials at Chicago's main post office are hosting a Santa Claus event Monday at the 24-hour facility near downtown to help people during the holiday mailing season.

Postal officials' tips include mailing packages early in the day and packaging gifts securely.

The event comes as the Postal Service is mulling hundreds of closures nationwide that would slow mail service.

The service has proposed closing 252 mail processing facilities and cutting 28,000 jobs by the end of next year to help the agency curb its mounting financial problems.