Figuratively Speaking

Percentage of Americans who think New Year's resolutions will be harder to keep in 2022 than in 2021, according to research by WalletHub: 59

Percentage who admit they've cheated on a New Year's resolution: 70

Ranks of "to make a realistic budget and stick to it," "look for a better job" and "stay on top of your credit" on the list of WalletHub's top New Year's financial resolutions for 2022: 1, 2, 3

Source: WalletHub.

Percentage of women who said they would rather spend a Friday night with a new book rather than on a date, according to Booky Call survey: 62

Source: Booky Call.

Percentage of Americans who said they take a long walk or hike more than once a week, according to a poll by Ipsos: 21

Percentage of respondents who ranked walking/hiking as the most popular exercise/activity since April 2020: 25

Ranks of lifting weights (15%), meditating (14%), and running, biking and swimming (13%) on the list of popular activities: 2, 3, 4 (tie)

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs

When asked about preferences should an airline offer a one-time loyal customer perk, percentage of travelers who selected an upgrade to first class as their first choice, according to a survey by the Go Group LLC: 35

Percentage who selected a discount on a future flight: 33

Source: GO Group LLC.

Percentage of U.S. adults who have given financial assistance to friends and family, according to a Bankrate.com report: 69

Percentage of those who experienced negative consequences as a result: 44

Ranks of lost money, suffered a damaged relationship, harmed their credit score or got into a physical altercation on the list of negative consequences: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Bankrate.com.

Percentage of first-generation homeowners who bought a home because they felt their parents expected it, compared to 20% of non-first-generation homeowners, according to a Bank of America survey of U.S. adults who currently own a home or plan to in the future: 43

Percentage who said they received financial assistance from their parents to buy a home: 37

Source: Bank of America.

In 2021, average amount American homeowners spent on home improvement, maintenance and emergency repairs, a nearly 20% jump from 2020, according to an Angi report: $15,680

Percentage rise in home emergency spending (to $2,231 across 2.2 projects) per household: 42

Percentage rise in home improvement spending (to $10,341 across 3.7 projects) per household: 25

Source: Angi.

Percentage of U.S. adults who are likely to look for a new job within the next year, according to the American Staffing Association survey: 41

Percentage who are likely to change careers: 35

Of these, percentage who say pay rate/salary would be among the most important factors if they were looking for a change: 63

Percentage who also cite flexible work hours: 37

Source: American Staffing Association.

Number of gallons more that gasoline "superusers" burn than the average driver, according to Coltura research: 1,000

On average, number of miles superusers travel per year -- more than three times the 8,698 miles per year traveled by the other surveyed drivers: 30,348

Average percentage of their income superusers spend on gasoline -- more than twice that of average drivers: 8

Source: Coltura.

Approximate percentage increase in interest in telemedicine options between 2017 and 2021, according to a survey of privately insured adults conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald Research: 100

Percentage who stated they were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of telemedicine: 75

Source: EBRI.

Idle Thought

"We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like?" -- Jean Cocteau, author and painter (1889-1963)

Year that the concept of "New Year's" was first celebrated, according to New Year's Facts and History: 2000 B.C. in Mesopotamia

Year that Jan. 1 was first recognized as the start of the new year -- in Venice, Italy: 1522

Year that Jan. 1 was first adopted as the beginning of the new year by the Roman Catholic Church: 1582

Year that "Auld Lang Syne" was written: 1788

Year that the first college football game was played on New Year's Day: 1902

Year that the first ball dropped in Times Square: 1907

Source: New Year's Facts.

During 2021, estimated number of Red Cross volunteers and staff who supported people affected by large disasters and emergencies, such as hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms and home fires, throughout the U.S., according to a report by the Red Cross: 8,500-plus

Estimated number of meals and snacks served with the help of partners: 2 million

Estimated number of overnight shelter and emergency hotel stays provided with the help of partners: 200,000-plus

Estimated number of people who were given emergency financial assistance for urgent disaster needs, such as making a deposit on a new apartment or replacing lost essentials: 211,000-plus

Source: American Red Cross.

Percentage increase in holiday travel in 2021 compared to 2020, according to Allianz Partners USA: 34

Ranks of New York, Seattle, Orlando, Los Angeles and Phoenix on the list of Americans' favored domestic destinations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of Cancun, Mexico; San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Montego Bay, Jamaica and Oranjestad, Aruba, on the list of Americans' favored international destinations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: Allianz Global Assistance USA.

Percentage of Americans who were confident about their ability to maintain diets during holidays, according to a poll by Ipsos: 50

Percentage of baby boomers who said they are likely to maintain their dietary goals on holidays: 61

Percentage of Gen Zers who said the same: 49

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of winter holiday shoppers who were likely to spend money to treat themselves this holiday season, according to a Bankrate.com report: 57

Source: Bankrate.com.

Of those who make a New Year's resolution -- after one week, the percentage who are still successful in keeping it, according to research by Discover Happy Habits: 75

Percentage after six months: 46

Percentage of those who failed who said it was because they made too many resolutions: 10

Ranks of exercising more and improving fitness, losing weight, saving money and improving diet on the list of the most popular resolutions for 2021: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Discover Happy Habits.

Pre-pandemic, percentage of women who were guilty of partaking in "dating without intention," or without seeking a steady, long-term partnership, according to research from Dating.com: 40

While 60% of single women were open to short-term flings pre-pandemic, percentage who now are seeking a stable relationship: 85

Source: Dating Group.

Percentage of employed Americans who plan to quit their jobs within the next 12 months, according to CareerArc: 23

Ranks of the desire for better working conditions, burnout and higher pay on the list of reasons given by those who plan to resign in the next 12 months: 1, 2, 3

Source: CareerArc.

Percentage of retail workers who had their pay cut in the past year -- a slight improvement from 38% in 2020, according to research from LendingTree: 33

Percentage who have received raises this year, up from 54% in 2020: 58

Percentage who think next year will bring a pay raise: 42

Source: LendingTree.

When respondents to a survey by Adam and Eve were asked if they have ever fallen in love at first sight, percentage who said yes: 40

Percentage who said they weren't sure about love at first sight: 13

Source: Adam and Eve.

Idle Thought

"Many wealthy people are little more than janitors of their possessions." -- Frank Lloyd Wright, architect (1867-1959)

Year that the first Christmas card was sent, according to research by DMR: 1611

Years that Christmas was banned in England by the Puritans: 1647-1660

First year that Christmas was a bank holiday in England: 1834

Year that Christmas became a U.S. federal holiday: 1870

Source: DMR.

Percentage of Americans who plan to tip their trash/recycling collector during the holidays, according to a survey from CreditCards.com: 19

Median amount of tip: $20

Percentage who will tip a child's schoolteacher: 41

Median amount of tip: $25

Percentage who will tip a child care provider: 41

Median amount of tip: $50

Source: CreditCards.com.

Despite this year's early shopping trend, percentage of shoppers who still expect a "last-minute Christmas shopping" scramble, according to an Ipsos Poll: 20

Ranks of Amazon, Walmart, AT&T, Verizon Communications and Apple Inc. on the list of the top brands for gift cards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of gift cards and money on wish lists across the country: 1, 2

Source: Ipsos.

Rank of "It's a Wonderful Life," "Elf" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" on the list of favorite Christmas movies, according to a survey by Jackson, New Hampshire's Christmas Farm Inn and Spa: 1, 2, 3

Ranks of "Silent Night," "White Christmas" and "O Holy Night" on the list of favorite Christmas songs: 1, 2, 3

Source: Christmas Farm Inn and Spa.

Percentage of respondents who said they would be traveling to a second home or vacation rental over the holidays, according to Pacaso: 45

Percentage who said they would like some amount of seasonal decoration at their second home or vacation rental: 76

Source: Pacaso.

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 Calvin Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn: 1923

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

Source: National Christmas Tree Association.

Percentage of parents with kids under 18 who say they are worried about disappointing their kids this holiday season, according to a survey by LendingTree: 69

Percentage who lose sleep over holiday spending worries: 50

Source: LendingTree.

Date of the probable first flight of Santa's sleigh (built by Kringle and Elves Inc.), a versatile, all-weather, multipurpose, vertical short-take-off and landing vehicle capable of traveling vast distances without refueling and deployed, as far as we know, only on Christmas Eve (and briefly for a test flight about a month before Christmas), according to NORAD: Dec. 24, 343 A.D.

Home base: North Pole

Length of the sleigh: 75 cc (candy canes) / 150 lps (lollipops)

Width: 40 cc / 80 lps

Height: 55 cc / 110 lps

Weight at takeoff: 75,000 gd (gumdrops)

Propulsion: Nine (9) rp (reindeer power)

Armament: Antlers (purely defensive)

Climbing speed: One "T" (Twinkle of an eye)

Max speed: Faster than starlight

Source: NORAD.

Number of children Santa must visit in a matter of hours, according to the Ministry of Fun: 2.1 billion

Number of stops he must make (assuming the global average of 2.5 children per household applies): 842 million

Source: Ministry of Fun.

Date that two astronauts aboard Gemini 6 sent an odd report to Mission Control saying that they saw an unidentified flying object about to enter Earth's atmosphere, traveling in the polar orbit from north to south -- interrupting the tense report with the sound of "Jingle Bells," as Wally Schirra played a small harmonica accompanied by Tom Stafford on a handful of small sleigh bells they had smuggled aboard, according to research by author and historian Christopher Klein: December 16, 1965

Source: Surprising Christmas Facts.

Idle Thought

"What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?" -- Jean Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (1712-1778)