The holiday season has finally arrived! It’s a time to enjoy moments filled with joy, glee, and (according to historical data from the Board of Governors) jewelry. The graph above traces outstanding instalment* accounts for jewelry stores from 1941 to 1946. Each December there’s a sharp increase, presumably from holiday spending. This kind of consistent increase (every year at the same time) reminds us that it’s wise to take into account seasonality before analyzing data.

*Editor’s note for careful readers: The spelling of instalment is taken directly from the Board of Governors’ release. The spelling of “installment” vs. “instalment” wasn’t standardized when these data were collected in the 1940s. People may have been occupied with other events at the time.

How this graph was created: Search for “Instalment Accounts,” select “Instalment Accounts Outstanding Jewelry Stores,” and add it to the graph.

Suggested by Ebony Mosby.