The deadline to mail packages from Hawaii to the mainland in time for Christmas was one week ago.

Still there were plenty of procrastinators mailing presents today.

It was surprisingly busy at the post office today, a line out the door at the main branch for most of the day.

It'll take a Christmas miracle for these packages to get to their destinations by Christmas.

But many of these last minute mailers figure -- better late than never.

"I hate things to be late. I don't like to be late but here I am, ha ha ha," said Dennis Contemplo of Wahiawa.

"I'm a little bit surprised to see so many people here on Christmas Eve, but our clerks in our office say they've seen years like this where people wait till the absolute last second," said Duke Gonzales, US Postal Service Spokesman.

And many folks are paying the price for being late.

"$40. $40 for that one? You're doing Express?"

"Things were a little different for us this year things started very slowly in the first couple of weeks in December, then in the last week it picked up tremendously," said Gonzales.

"I'm mailing a Christmas present to my friend's family in Boston because they had me over for thanksgiving and it was last minute because I came back from school," said Cecily Kaya of Salt Lake.

Gonzales says there's been a decrease in the amount of letters and cards that come through this Honolulu processing plant because of the internet.

But because of online shopping, there's been an increase in the amount of packages and boxes.

And every December they still continue to get hundreds of letters addressed to Santa.

"We make sure each one of those letters gets to santa and his helpers and so that each one of the children who write those letters get a special reply from Santa Claus," said Gonzales.

As for those last minute mailers.

"Why did I wait till the last minute? We just got overwhelmed, busy year," said Jim Conti of Wahiawa.

A few could have a miracle happen since postal carriers deliver Express Mail on Christmas Day in most major cities, including Honolulu.

All branches except the main branch have closed for the evening.

The main branch at the Honolulu Airport is open till eight o'clock tonight.