Ranks of Milford Sound in New Zealand; Queenstown, New Zealand; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Cayo Largo, Cuba; and Rhodes, Greece, on the list of top 2008 Travelers' Choice World Destinations, according to TripAdvisor's Destinations Awards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Big Sur, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; Po'ipu, Hawai'i; and Sedona, Ariz., on the list of 2008 Travelers' Choice U.S. Destinations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

LAST-MINUTE SHOPPERS

Percentage of holiday shoppers who don't begin their holiday shopping until Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, according to data from Mediamark Research and Intelligence: 2.3%

Percentage who shop after Christmas: 1.3%

BUDGETING THE SEASON

Percentage of consumers who made a holiday budget — an increase of more than 17 percent from the year before, according to a Consumer Reports holiday shopping poll: 59%

Of the consumers who made a budget last year, percentage who stayed on it: 45%

Percentage who went over budget last year: 44%

Percentage who went way over budget: 3%

INDULGING YOURSELF

Percentage of holiday shoppers who said that if they see something that would be just perfect for themselves, they'll probably buy that too, according to a survey by Taubman Centers: 73%

COUCH POTATOES

Percentage of in-home online activity that takes place while simultaneously watching TV, according to the Nielsen Company's new TV/Internet Convergence Panel: 30%

SOCIAL CONSCIENCES

Percentage of consumers who would remain loyal to a brand during a recession if it supports a good cause, according to this year's global study of consumer attitudes by Edelman: 68%

Percentage who say that if two products are of the same quality and price, commitment to a social purpose trumps factors like design, innovation and brand loyalty when choosing one brand over the other: 42%

A TAD GLUM

Percentage of respondents who said their perceptions of Christmas decorations have changed since last year, according to a study conducted by HCD Research: 35%

Percentage who feel that elaborate decorations would be inappropriate at a time when the country faces serious national and international concerns (job losses, economy crisis, war, etc.): 37%

SKIMPIER GIFTS

Percentage of tweens and teens who expect to receive fewer holiday gifts this year than last, according to a survey by youth opinion research company Node Research: 51%

Average retail price of the average 10-year-old's wish list: $794.

PARTY DOWNTURN

Percentage of businesses that will hold some type of holiday celebration this year, according to Battalia Winston's annual survey of corporate holiday celebrations: 81%

Percentage of companies that say their holiday party has been canceled or scaled back because of the economy: 37%

Percentage that were affected last year: 19%

ESCAPE TO MULTIPLEX

Whether taking a break from shopping or from visiting relatives, percentage of Americans who say their favorite way to relax this season is seeing a holiday movie: 70%

Percentage who say it's taking a nap: 14.3%

IDLE THOUGHT

A city that outdistances man's walking powers is a trap for man.

— Arnold Toynbee, historian (1889-1975)