‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ add up
Although the origins of the Christmas carol “The 12 Days of Christmas” may be a mystery, one thing is certain: It’s getting more costly to buy your true love all the items mentioned.
It would cost $78,100 to buy the 364 items, from a single partridge in a pear tree to the 12 drummers drumming, repeatedly on each day as the song suggests, according to the annual PNC Christmas price index compiled by PNC Wealth Management.
The cost is up 4% from $75,122 last year.
Buying each item in the song just once would cost $19,507, up 3.1%. And shopping online would be costlier, with the 364 items adding up to $128,886, up 2.5%. You would spend $31,249 online for each item just once this year.
Though a humorous look, PNC said the index mirrored actual economic trends. PNC has been calculating the cost of Christmas since 1984.
Helping push the cost up this year is the minimum wage hike, which bumped the cost of eight maids a-milking from about $41 to nearly $47.
“They have not had an increase since 1997,” said Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investment for PNC Wealth Management. “The good news is, if you’re a maids a-milking, they will also see an increase in 2008 and 2009.”
Higher food costs pushed the six geese a-laying from $300 to $360. And reflecting higher gold prices, those five golden rings will cost $395, up 21.5% from last year’s $325.
“The cost of the gold rings in this year’s Christmas price index reflects the general trend of increasing commodity prices in the consumer price index, including gold,” Dunigan said. “In addition, increased fears about inflation and the value of the dollar may have led investors to turn to gold as a safer place to invest their money.”
Not everything is more costly. The price of a partridge, two turtle doves and three French hens remained the same, as did seven swans a-swimming and nine ladies dancing.
PNC checks jewelry stores, dance companies, pet stores and other sources to compile the list, Dunigan said.
--
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Gift list
PNC Wealth Management’s pricing of items in the carol:
Partridge
$15
(last year: same)
--
Pear tree
$150
(last year: $130)
--
Two turtle doves
$40
(last year: same)
--
Three French hens
$45
(last year: same)
--
Four calling birds
$600
(canaries; last year: $480)
--
Five golden rings
$395
(last year: $325)
--
Six geese a-laying
$360
(last year: $300)
--
Seven swans
a-swimming
$4,200
(last year: same)
--
Eight maids a-milking
$47
(last year: $41)
--
Nine ladies dancing
$4,759
(per performance; last year: same)
--
10 lords a-leaping
$4,285
(per performance; last year: $4,160)
--
11 pipers piping
$2,213
(per performance; last year: $2,124)
--
12 drummers drumming
$2,398
(per performance; last year: $2,301)
--
Source: The Associated Press
