Our Christmas Ornament Gifts For Mailmen
are 6 inches long. The People and Profession Tree Ornaments Santa Mailman are wearing a red Santa hat, light blue shirt, gray pants with a black belt and black shoes. These Santa Ornaments have a brown mail bag over his shoulder. The Santa mailman gifts are collecting all your letters to Santa. The Santa postman Christmas ornament hangs from a red satin ribbon. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Decorations Ideas.

History of Mail Systems.
Many ancient civilizations, including the Chinese, Egyptians, Assyrians and Persians, had well organized mail systems. These early postal networks existed to help rulers govern empires that stretched over large areas. Generally, only government officials could use the postal system. However, there was little demand for public mail service because few people could read or write.
Nearly all ancient postal systems were relay system. They consisted of runners or mounted couriers stationed at intervals along major roads. Messages relayed by these couriers traveled swiftly, sometimes more than 100 miles a day. Select this link to view our Glass Ornaments.
The most highly organized mail system of ancient times was established by Augustus Caesar, who became the Roman emperor in 27 B.C. It was a relay system in which mounted couriers rode throughout the empire on a network of well constructed roads. Along the roads, the Romans built relay stations called post houses. There, messengers could rest, get fresh horses, or pass their messages to another courier. In the A.D. 200’s, roman couriers began to deliver a limited amount of private mail as well as official messages.
The fall of the West Roman Empire in the A.D. 400’s led to the collapse of the postal system. Rulers in some areas continued to use roman roads and post houses for their own postal services. But generally, organized communication ended throughout Western Europe.
Civilizations in other areas of the world also developed efficient postal systems. In North and South America the Aztec and the Inca established networks of relay runners, who delivered messages and packages between major cities. In Asia, the Mongol leader Kublai Khan developed a highly organized postal relay system, with more than 10,000 postal stations, during the 1200’s.
During the 1300’s, the growth of international commerce led merchants and trading companies to establish their own courier services. Universities, religious groups and guilds also maintained mail service for their members. However, service was slow, expensive and unreliable. Select this link to view our People and Baby German Christmas Ornaments.
The invention of the printing press and the growth of education and learning during the 1400’s increased the demand for postal service. Delivering mail became a profitable business and private mail services sprang up in many areas. The Taxis family of Vienna organized on the most famous private systems. By the early 1600’s, their service employed about 20,000 couriers and covered most of central Europe. Generally, service remained costly and slow. In addition, deliveries were made only along major transportation routes.
The rise of strong centralized governments in Europe in the late 1400’s and the 1500’s led to the establishment of official postal services. In 1477, King Louis XI of France created a postal system of mounted couriers with regular schedules. In 1516, King Henry VIII of England organized a similar system in his own country. Although these systems were established primarily for official use, the safe and reliable service they provided also made them popular with the public.
During the early 1600’s, many European governments established public postal systems. In 1627, the French government established post offices in major cities and regulated postal rates. I 1635, the English government established public postal system between England and Scotland.
Many countries passed laws giving the government the sole power to provide postal delivery. Private mail services continued to operate in these countries mostly along routes not covered by government postal systems. Select this link to view our Miscellaneous Holiday Ornaments.