Which day is really the busiest shopping day?

Today is often called "Black Friday" among retailers, because the day after Thanksgiving is usually the day sales go from being in the red to the black.

And while the number of shoppers may make today the busiest shopping day of the year, in terms of money spent, it actually ranks fifth.

Based on historical data, the biggest shopping day of the year this holiday season, in terms of volume, figures to be Saturday, Dec. 21. The next four, in order, are Monday, Dec. 23; Saturday, Dec. 14; Friday, Dec. 20; and today. The list was compiled by Purdue University.

Thanksgiving accounts for about 10 percent of all holiday shopping sales. The weekend before Christmas accounts for nearly 30 percent of all sales.

Other holiday facts and figures, courtesy of Purdue University:

50 percent of all holiday sales take place in a mall.

200 million mall visits will be recorded this holiday season.

There will be 10 billion holiday catalogs mailed out, or approximately 50 for every household.

Consumers will spend nearly $800 billion during the holiday shopping season.

The average number of photos taken with Santa in a mall is about 11,000.

98 percent of America's malls -- including the Cottonwood Creek Mall in the Valley and all major malls in Anchorage -- extend their holiday hours.

The average date of unveiling holiday decorations in malls is Nov. 1.