Year that Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the United States, placed a Christmas tree in the White House for the first time, according to PolitiFact.com and the National Christmas Tree Association: 1856

Year that President Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn: 1923.

Year the National Christmas Tree was not lit until Dec. 22, because of a national 30-day period of mourning following the assassination of President Kennedy: 1963

Source: University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners.

Percentage of Christmastime churchgoers in the U.S. who say they attend services to "honor Jesus," according to a survey from the evangelical research agency LifeWay Research: 77

Percentage who attend to observe tradition: 9

Percentage who say they attend to be with family and friends: 9

Percentage who attend wanting to get in the Christmas spirit: 3

Source: LifeWay Research.

Percentage of parents who use a child's behavior to dictate how much money is spent on their gifts, according to a survey by Lending Tree: 6

Percentage of families who receive wrapped presents from Santa, as opposed to unwrapped gifts: 79

Source: Lending Tree.

In 2017, cost to buy a partridge in a pear tree, according to the whimsical economic analysis by PNC Wealth Management based on the prices of gifts in the holiday classic, "The Twelve Days of Christmas": $219.95

Price for two turtle doves: $375

For nine ladies dancing: $7,552.84

For 10 lords a-leaping: $5,618.90

Source: PNC Wealth Management.

Percentage of adults who say their at-home children believe in Santa Claus, according to a new Pew Research Center poll: 19

Percentage of children who plan to "pretend" that St. Nick will visit their house on Christmas Eve: 70

Percentage of parents who said that Santa had "visited" their childhood homes with presents years ago: 72

Percentage of parents who are planning to have him visit their kids this Christmas: 31

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project

Ranks of crowds/long lines, aggressive/thoughtless driving in shopping centers and bad traffic on the list of holiday dreads as cited by Americans, according to Consumer Reports: 1, 2, 3

Rank of "that fruitcake" on the list of the least-favorite holiday food gifts: 1

Source: Consumer Reports.

Percentage of respondents to The Marriage Proposal survey by Chillisauce who chose Christmas Eve, Santa's busiest day of the year, as the best time to pop the question: 31

Percentage of proposals that are expected to happen around Christmas: 40

Ranks of Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve and a birthday on the list of the best times for a marriage proposal: 2, 3, 4

Source: Chillisauce Ltd. Contact Sir/Madam at 020 7299 1831.

Percentage of "dog people" who will buy their pup a gift this holiday season, according to a survey released today by BarkBox: 80

Percentage of dog people who say their pup helps them cope with stressful events during the holiday season, including being around difficult family members, arguments among family or going to extended family's house: 85

Source: BarkBox

Percentage of Americans who plan to spend more on holiday travel than gifts, according to a survey by Orbitz Worldwide: 64

Busiest day for Christmas travel: Dec. 23

Source: Orbitz.

Idle Thought

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." -- Charles Dickens

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of U.S. workers who say they are happier on the job during the holidays, even though 35 percent admit to being more stressed this time of year, according to a survey from Accountemps: 51

Rank of balancing holiday events with work obligations as the most stressful part of the holiday season cited by workers: 1

Source: Accountemps.

Percentage of Americans who say the thing they most look forward to during the holiday season is spending time with friends and family, according to a Harris Poll: 52

Ranks of holiday dinners and parties, finding and giving presents, putting up holiday decorations, watching television specials or hearing holiday songs on the radio on the list of holiday events they most enjoy: 2 (tie), 4, 5

Percentage of Americans who say the one thing they dislike most about the holidays is spending too much money: 27

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of Americans who celebrate Christmas, according to Pew research: 92

Percentage of Christians who celebrate: 96

Percentage of non-Christians who celebrate: 81

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Average amount that companies are spending to thank each employee this holiday season, according to Advertising Specialty Institute survey: $79

Percentage that report they will spend over $100 on each: 23

Average amount that employers will spend to thank customers or prospects for their business: $46

Source: Advertising Specialty Institute.

When asked what their go-to gift was for someone they didn't know particularly well or someone they hadn't planned to give a gift originally, percentage who said gift cards, according to a survey by Consumer Reports: 29

Percentage who cited wine/other alcohol: 16

Percentage who said chocolates/dessert/candy: 15

Source: Consumer Reports.

Percentage of parents who try to get everything on their kids' wish lists, according to a T. Rowe Price survey: 58

Percentage of kids who expect them to buy everything on their lists: 66

Source: T. Rowe Price.

Percentage of Americans who plan to spend time with family and friends this holiday season, according to a nationwide survey by C Spire: 80

Percentage who plan to give or open gifts: 63

Percentage who plan to make a special meal or festive treats: 50

Percentage who plan to attend a church service: 31

Source: C Spire.

Estimated percentage of homes that still put up and decorate a real Christmas tree each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 20

Estimated percentage of U.S. households that now use artificial trees to decorate for the holidays: 50

Value of artificial Christmas trees imported into the U.S. from China during the first nine months of last year: $80 million

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of women who will buy a little something for themselves while shopping for others at Christmas, according to a Marshalls survey: 91

Percentage who say their significant other gives them the most thoughtful or surprising gifts: 50

Ranks of parents, significant others and siblings on the list of the toughest people to buy for: 1, 2, 3

Source: Marshalls.

Percentage of Americans who would skip exchanging gifts if their family and friends agreed to it, according to a survey conducted on behalf of SunTrust Bank: 69

Percentage of respondents who said they would use that money on activities with friends and family: 25

Source: Nielsen Online.

Idle Thought

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." -- Aesop

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of parents who save for the holidays, according to a T. Rowe Price survey: 73

Percentage of holiday-savers who start to put money away right after the previous year's holiday season: 48

Source: T. Rowe Price.

Percentage of U.S. adults who will buy a gift that costs at least $50 this holiday season, according to a CreditCards.com report: 53

Percentage who will fork over $100 or more on a single item: 27

Percentage who won't buy any gifts at all: 12

Source: CreditCards.com.

Percentage of people who would pay extra for some peace and quiet this holiday season (topping "no Trump tweets" 24 percent), according to a survey by WalletHub: 41

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of Americans who said they didn't have a set budget for holiday shopping this year, down from 56 percent last year: 45

Percentage of people who don't expect their spouse or significant other to spend anything on them during the holidays: 23

Percentage who said they don't plan to spend anything on their spouse or significant other: 10

Source: Lending Tree.

Percentage of workers who admitted to shopping on a company device during work hours, according to a Robert Half survey: 75

Percentage who said they spent one hour or more shopping on the job during last year's Cyber Monday: 41

This year, percentage of all respondents who said they plan to spend even more time on online bargain hunting while at the office: 23

Source: Robert Half Technology.

Percentage of Americans who say Christian symbols such as nativity scenes should be allowed on government property, according to Pew research: 44

Percentage who say Christian displays should be permitted only with symbols from other religions: 28

Percentage who say Christian symbols shouldn't be allowed on government property at all: 20

Source: Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

Percentage of American women who would forgo gifts for themselves this year if they could guarantee everyone on their list was delighted with what they received, according to a Marshalls survey: 90

Percentage of American women who believe the best holiday gifts are the ones least expected: 94

Yet, percentage who shop based on lists, leaving little room for surprise under the tree: 33

Source: Marshalls.

Percentage of consumers who plan to visit a physical store in the month of December, according to a survey by RetailMeNot Inc.: 87

Average number of store visits these consumers plan to make: 7

Percentage who are likely to make a purchase at a special in-store event, such as pop-up shops, new brand collaborations or celebrity guest appearances: 63

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Percentage of 18- to 35-year-olds who consider keeping fit one of the most important parts of their holiday experience, according to a survey by Hotels.com: 80

Ranks of top-notch hotel fitness facilities, proximity of good restaurants and nightlife on the list of the most important vacation considerations: 1, 2, 3

Source: Hotels.com.

Ranks of online, department store, discount store, grocery store/supermarket, clothing or accessories store and electronics store on the list of the most popular shopping destinations this year, according to a survey for the National Retail Federation: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Source: NRF.

Idle Thought

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." -- Desmond Tutu

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)