- 29 November, 2005 -

Yes, holiday decorations have hit the shelves and Christmas tunes have hit the airwaves. But chill out, you 20% who've finished your holiday shopping before Thanksgiving (DMA). It's November. Let's take a moment this Thanksgiving to reflect on what we're truly thankful for like the pollsters who track our holiday habits. A survey of surveys: 57% of Americans say that Mom's their first pick to cook Thanksgiving dinner; 20% would prefer celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse (AIG Auto Insurance). You'll have to shell out the dough to get to them, though. Airlines are charging 12% to 15% more for flights this Thanksgiving than they did last year (Priceline). That's stressful. How to unwind over the holidays? Some 13% say they help the needy; 11% prefer to buy themselves drinks (Trip- Adviser). What to do after the big meal's done? Diet. The average person consumes 2,500 calories and 86 grams of fat during Thanksgiving dinner the equivalent of eating 16 slices of pepperoni pizza (Bally Total Fitness). It's hard to resist a deep-fried turkey 39% of adults confess to having eaten one (LouAna Peanut Oil). It's also hard to exercise when there's football on TV; 38% of women say it's OK for men to watch a game as long as they help with the cleaning first (It's Just Lunch). That's only fair. Women, in general, spend twice as much time grocery shopping and three times as much time cooking and cleaning up as men (USDA). Now, that's something that men can be thankful for.

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