Decked with Christmas trees, garlands and inflatable festive figures, Rudolph’s Express Shipping Shack, next to the lobby of the main Post Office near the Honolulu airport, is an especially cheery sight for anyone wanting to avoid the season’s long lines to mail out holiday packages.

Customer over-the-counter transactions at the site, which opened for its sixth season on Monday, are limited to mailing up to five flat-rate boxes, and purchasing Forever stamps.

Hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays through Dec. 20; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays through Dec. 21. The shack is closed on Sundays.

Merrie Monarch by (snail) mail

Many things about the annual Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition are lovely in the old-school quality they maintain, year after year.

Here’s another one: On Monday people wanting some of the coveted tickets could start sending their requests — by snail mail only. Orders by phone or email wind up in eternal limbo: Only the U.S. Postal Service gets through.

This is how the organization likes to give everyone a fair shot. Perhaps our need-for-speed society could learn something here.