Holiday mail hoopla
Counting the days until Christmas? Do you swear that this year you'll make it to the mall in time to find good gifts for the loved ones? Considering the mass e-mail route rather than personalized cards?
Tomorrow is a popular thought during the holidays. But there never seems to be enough time. And, "Snap!" The next thing you know, the endless days of January stretch ahead.
In the spirit of the holiday season, we offer some holiday-related facts via the U.S. Census Bureau. Take a break, if only for a minute:
• 20 billion: Pieces of mail the U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The busiest mailing day is today, as more than three times the average daily volume of cards and letters should be mailed.
• 1.7 million: The number of people employed in department stores in December 2006. Retail employment typically swells during the holidays, rising by nearly 175,000 from October last year.
• 48,695: The number of malls and shopping centers in the U.S. as of 2005. That's up by about 12,000 since 1990.
• $512 million: The gross earnings of Christmas tree farmers in 2006. North Carolina with $134 million was the top producer. Oregon was net with $121 in sales.
• 104: Number of establishments in the U.S. that primarily manufactured dolls and stuffed toys in 2005. California led with 18 locations.
• More than 303 million: The projected U.S. population on Jan. 1, 2008. This compares with about 175 million in 1958 and less than 90 million in 1908.
• $31.4 billion: Retail sales by the nation's department stores in December 2006. This represented a 44 percent jump from the previous month. Retailers with sizable jumps during that time were book stores (86 percent); jewelry stores (155 percent); radio, TV and electronics (60 percent); and, sporting goods (65 percent).
• 21 billion: Value of retail sales by electronic shopping and mail-order houses in December 2006 -- the highest total for any month last year.
Finally, here's some places where the holiday spirit exists year round:
• North Pole, Ala.: Population 1,828 in 2006
• Santa Claus, Ind.: 2,324
• Santa Claus, Ga.: 245
• Noel, Mo.: 1,555
• Rudolph, Wis.: 419
• Dasher, Ga.: 803
• Snowflake, Ariz.: 5,157
-- Compiled by
Mick Zawislak