Percentage of Americans who infrequently make New Year's resolutions, according to the University of Scranton's Journal of Clinical Psychology: 17

Percentage who usually make New Year's resolutions: 45

Percentage who absolutely never make New Year's resolutions: 38

Percentage who are successful in keeping their resolutions: 8

Source: University of Scranton.

Percentage of Americans (and nearly three in four millennials) who agree that ringing in the new year in Times Square is on their bucket list, according to a survey from Barefoot Wine & Bubbly: 50

Source: Barefoot Wine & Bubbly.

Estimated number of people who will gather in Times Square to ring in the new year on Dec. 31, according to the Times Square Alliance: 1 million plus

Number of Waterford Crystal triangles of varying sizes that are attached to the aluminum frame of the ball: 2,688

Estimated weight of the ball: 6 tons

Source: Times Square Visitors Center.

Percentage of workers who say bigger year-end bonuses would be the best way to help alleviate holiday stress levels, according to a survey from Accountemps: 37

Percentage who would appreciate more flexible work schedules during the holidays: 32

Ranks of San Francisco, New York and San Diego on the list cities where workers are happiest during the holidays: 1, 2, 3

Source: Accountemps.

Percentage of employees who say they felt obligated to buy their boss a holiday gift: 28

Percentage who say they do not give out holiday gifts in the workplace: 61

Source: Randstad.

Ranks of joyful, generous, financially stretched, stressed out and wasteful on the list of feelings Americans have about gift-giving: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Percentage of U.S. adults who say they are looking forward "a lot" to giving and receiving gifts: 45

Source: PEW Internet and American Life Project.

When asked what one food or dish they most look forward to eating each year during this holiday season, percentage who cited turkey, according to a Harris Poll: 32

Ranks of stuffing, ham, pie and sweet potatoes/yams on the list of the one food or dish they most look forward to eating each year: 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of student loan borrowers who would rather have received a student loan payment instead of a gift this holiday season, according to a survey by Ameritech Financial: 70

Percentage of student loan borrowers who are planning to skip a payment to help cover their holiday spending: 40

Source: Ameritech Financial.

Percentage of senior managers who said they expect year-end bonus levels to be at least somewhat higher than 2016, according to research from global staffing firm Robert Half: 51

Percentage who reported bonus amounts will decrease: 10

Percentage who anticipate no change in bonuses: 39

Source: Robert Half Management Resources.

Idle Thought

"Sometimes too much to drink is barely enough." -- Mark Twain

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

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.)