During the last couple of years Christmas shopping became a national sport. But recently people started to buy more and more from online stores, rather than from common “real-life” shops.

So, according to comScore’s report, it seems that a week before Christmas 2007 online sales grew up to 25 percent over the comparable period last year. In the first 51 days of the winter holiday season, that is between November 1 and December 21, United States’ shoppers have spent no less than $26.3 billion online, which is up 19 percent compared to the corresponding period last year.

According to comScore’s analyzes, it seems that this season’s heaviest online shopping day was December 10, or the so-called Green Monday - a term given by eBay for the second Monday in December, which the company identified as a particularly heavy e-sales day. In 2007, online shoppers spent no less than $881 million that day, which is up 33 percent from the corresponding day last year.

Cyber Monday, as the first workday after the Thanksgiving holiday is called in the United States, was ranked as this winter holiday season’s ninth heaviest online shopping day, with only $733 million in sales.

Overall, comScore has estimated that 2007’s holiday season will likely generate about $29.5 billion in online spending, which would mark a 20 percent increase compared to the same period in 2006.