Main Home Life Holidays Christmas

• What country manufactures most of our toys and Christmas decorations?

• Where are most Christmas trees grown in the U.S.?

• How many towns in America are called "Holly"?

....plus more holiday trivia as we survey top fun facts of the season celebrating Christmas by the numbers:

It's in the Mail ...

20 Billion
Yes, that's 20 BILLION pieces of mail the U.S. Postal Service expects to deliver between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. The busiest mailing day is set for December 16.

Rush to the Stores

$28.2 billion
The total sales enjoyed by the nation's department stores throughout December.

Other U.S. retailers with sizable jumps in sales between November and December are book stores (95 percent); clothing stores (32 percent); jewelry stores (125 percent); radio, TV and other electronics stores (38 percent); and sporting goods stores (62 percent).

1.7 million
The number of people employed at department stores in December. Retail employment typically swells during the holiday season, last year rising by an estimated 40,600 from November and 174,700 from October.

16,670
The number of online shopping and mail-order houses in business which employed 268,328 workers. Their sales: $199 billion, of which more than 44 percent were attributable to e-commerce.

48,695
The number of malls and shopping centers dotting the U.S. landscape, a total that has increased by approximately 12,000 since 1990.

Christmas Trees and Decorations

$410 million
The gross earnings of Christmas tree farmers with Oregon top of the heap scoring $109 million in sales followed by North Carolina, Washington and Michigan.

$470.3 million
The value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments & decorations from China between January and June. Chinais also the leading foreign source of artificial Christmas trees shipped to the United States during the same period.

Where the Toys Are

94
Number of establishments around the country that primarily manufactured stuffed dolls and toys. California leads the nation with 17 locations.

$3.2 billion
The value of U.S. toy imports including stuffed toys, puzzles and electric trains from China between January and June. China is the leading country of origin for stuffed toys coming into this country, as well as for a number of other popular holiday gifts. These include roller skates ($79 million), sports footwear ($193 million), golf equipment ($36 million) and basketballs ($23 million).

Holiday Names

Places whose names are associated with the holiday season include North Pole, Alaska (population 1,828); Santa Claus, Indiana (2,324); Santa Claus, Georgia (245); Noel, Missouri. (1,555); and — if you know about reindeer — the village of Rudolph, Wisconsin (419) and Dasher, Georgia (1,000).

There are also places in the U.S. named Holly - a dozen, in fact - including Holly Springs, Mississippi, and Mount Holly, North Carolina.

New Year's Eve

73,685
The estimated population of Champaign, Illinois, a place whose name alone may get you into a celebratory mood.

$475 million
U.S. manufacturers shipments of effervescent wines (including sparkling wines and champagne).

Happy New Year!

source: U.S. Census Bureau

also see -> Christmas in New York City | Christmas Around the World

Canadian Christmas Fun Facts