Do you know how much it would cost to buy all the items in the “12 Days of Christmas” song? The value of candles shipped across the U.S. each year? Or the amount of confetti dropped in Times Square on New Year’s Eve? Discover the answers here, along with other surprising holiday season facts.

The holidays give us a chance to spend more time with family and friends, give presents and celebrate the coming new year. Holiday spending also translates into major gains for the economy and new employment opportunities, providing businesses across a range of industries with a much-needed dose of cheer.

From the latest inductees into the Toy Hall of Fame to the cost of purchasing all the gifts mentioned in the “12 Days of Christmas” song, enjoy these entertaining facts about the 2011 holiday season.

STAYING IN TOUCH

97 Million
Average number of customers who visit the post office during the holiday season
Source: U.S. Postal Service’s 2011 Holiday Facts and Information

16.5 Billion
Number of cards, letters and packages to be delivered between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve
Source: Ibid.

589 Million
Average number of pieces of mail processed daily during the holidays
Source: Ibid.

801 Million
Pieces of mail processed by the U.S. Postal Service on December 20, the busiest mailing day of the year
Source: Ibid.

155,000
Number of vehicles used to transport holiday mail
Source: Ibid.

3.3 Billion
Number of holiday-related stamps available from the U.S. Postal Service this year
Source: Ibid.

30 Million
Pounds of mail the U.S. Postal Service will process for shipping to military personnel overseas
Source: Ibid.

HOLIDAY BOUNTY

$465.6 Billion
Projected total value of retail sales this holiday season, up 2.8 percent from the previous year’s total of $447.1 billion
Source: NRF’s 2011 Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey

$704.18
Average amount consumers are expected to spend on holiday gifts and merchandise this year, down from $718.98 in 2010
Source: Ibid.

19.4%
Percentage of total retail industry sales attributed to holiday spending in 2010
Source: NRF’s Holiday FAQ

57.7%
Percentage of shoppers who’d like to receive a gift card this holiday season, followed by clothing or clothing accessories (50 percent), consumer electronics or computer-related accessories (35.4 percent), jewelry (22.8 percent) and personal care items (19.3 percent)
Source: NRF’s 2011 Holiday Intentions and Actions Survey

$3.48 Billion
Amount projected to be lost by retailers this holiday season due to return fraud, down from $3.73 billion last year
Source: NRF’s Return Fraud Survey Results 2011

48%
Percentage of consumers who plan to shop for gifts online this holiday season, up 13 percent from 2010 and tied with the amount who plan to shop at discount stores
Source: Deloitte’s 2011 Annual Holiday Survey

70.5%
Percentage of tablet PC owners who plan to use their devices to research and shop for gifts
Source: NRF’s 2011 Holiday Intentions and Actions Survey

5.7%
Percentage of shoppers who plan to use their mobile devices to look up price comparisons this holiday season, up from 3.7 percent in 2010
Source: NRF’s 2011 Holiday Intentions and Actions Survey

$34 Billion
Value of retail sales done through electronic shopping and mail-order companies in December 2010, the highest total for any month last year
Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s Monthly & Annual Retail Trade

$24,263
Amount it would cost to actually purchase the items in the “12 Days of Christmas” this year, up $823 from the total in 2010 but well below the estimated $39,860 price tag for online shoppers
Source: PNC Wealth Management’s 2011 Christmas Price Index

SANTA’S WORKSHOP

480,000-500,000
Estimated range for the number of seasonal workers retailers are expected to hire this holiday season, comparable to the 495,000 hired in 2010
Source: NRF’s 2011 Holiday Intentions and Actions Survey

29%
Percentage of retailers planning to hire seasonal employees for the holidays
Source: CareerBuilder.com’s Seasonal Hiring Survey

30%
Percentage of employers hiring seasonal help who plan to transition some workers into full-time, permanent staff
Source: Ibid.

53%
Percentage of employers paying $10 or more per hour to seasonal employees, while 14 percent pay $16 or more per hour
Source: Ibid.

66%
Percentage of employers who said providing excellent, “above and beyond” customer service is the surest way to move from a seasonal position into a permanent one
Source: Ibid.

TOYLAND

43.1%
Percentage of consumers who plan to buy toys this holiday season, up from 41.9 percent in 2010
Source: NRF’s 2011 Top Toys Survey

26.9%
Percentage of girls who put Barbie — the No. 1 girls’ toy — at the top of their holiday wish list, followed by other dolls, Disney princess toys, Monster High dolls, American Girl dolls and video games
Source: Ibid.

11.9%
Percentage of boys who selected video games as their top holiday pick, followed by LEGO bricks, generic toy cars, Transformers and Hot Wheels
Source: Ibid.

579
Number of establishments in the U.S. that primarily manufactured games, toys and children’s vehicles in 2009, employing 7,858 workers
Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns

88
Number of establishments in the U.S. that primarily produced dolls and stuffed toys in 2009
Source: Ibid.

$2.5 Billion
Value of U.S. toy imports from China between January and September 2011,
Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade

50
Number of toys that have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame since 1989, including this year’s inductees: the blanket, the dollhouse and Hot Wheels
Source: National Toy Hall of Fame

DECK THE HALLS

27 Million
Number of natural Christmas trees purchased in the U.S. in 2010, compared to 8.2 million artificial trees
Source: National Christmas Tree Association’s (NCTA) Consumer Survey Results

$976 Million
Total retail value of natural Christmas trees bought in the U.S. last year, compared to $530 million for artificial trees
Source: Ibid.

15,000
Number of farms growing Christmas trees in the U.S., employing over 100,000 workers
Source: NCTA’s Quick Tree Facts

30,000
Number of environmentally friendly LEDs, suspended on five miles of wire, strung on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City
Source: The 2011 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

$46.73
Average amount a consumer will spend this year on holiday decorations, compared to $96.75 on candy and food, $26.52 on greeting cards and $18.23 on flowers
Source: NRF’s 2011 Holiday Intentions and Actions Survey

$983 Million
Value of U.S. imports of Christmas tree ornaments from China between January and September 2011, including $79.7 million worth of artificial trees
Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade

50%
Proportion of U.S. potatoes, many of which were used for making Hanukkah latkes, grown in Idaho and Washington in 2010
Source: National Agriculture Statistics Service

$1.5 Billion
Total value for shipments of candles in 2009, many of which were lit for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa celebrations
Source: U.S. Census Bureau’s 2009 Annual Survey of Manufacturers

11,875 Lbs.
Weight of the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball, measuring 12 feet in diameter, adorned with 2,688 crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 LEDs
Source: Times Square Alliance’s About the New Year’s Eve Ball

1 Ton
Total weight of confetti dropped in Times Square on New Year’s Eve
Source: Times Square Alliance’s New Year’s Eve FAQ