How the USPS stole Christmas.

Hundreds of care packages sent to US military members stationed overseas during the holidays were returned to a Connecticut-based nonprofit over a “ridiculous” minor technicality cited by the United States Postal Service — and now there’s no way the boxes will make it to the service members in time.

Three weeks ago, nonprofit Boxes to Boots shipped 1,139 holiday care packages intended for overseas service members. Of those, 884 were flagged by US Customs and sent back by USPS to the nonprofit, based in Berlin, Conn., though some were also lost in transit, the charity organizers told NBC Connecticut .

The Boxes and Boots team struggled to fathom what could’ve gone wrong — and why the other 255 packages were allowed through.

The organization hosts an annua

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