Sent to me in an email.
As part of its annual tradition, PNC Bank tabulates the “true cost of Christmas,” which is the total cost of all of the items in the famous carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” including all of the repetitions. The price tag for the 364 items this holiday season is US$65,264, up from 2002’s true cost of US$54,951. This increase of nearly 19 percent shatters the previous record increase of 8.4 percent that was achieved in 1987.
The cost of the five gold rings dropped by 5.6 percent, and the pear tree is down a full 28.6 percent from last year. However, these discounts were offset by the dancers, pipers and drummers who have seen significant increases in the cost of their services over 2002.
“The result reflects the broader trend of productivity growth in the U.S. economy that has driven prices lower on goods while allowing prices for services to rise modestly,” said Jeff Kleintop, chief investment strategist for PNC Advisors. “Whereas in the mid-1980s the cost of the goods in the song dominated the Index, the trend over time has been toward lower goods prices, such as the pear tree, and higher prices for skilled labor, such as the pipers,” he said.
One Partridge in a Pear Tree $77.50
Two Turtle Doves $58.00
Three French Hens $15.00
Four Calling Birds $400.00
Five Gold Rings $361.25
Six Geese-a-Laying $150.00
Seven Swans-a-Swimming $3,500.00
Eight Maids-a-Milking $41.20
Nine Ladies Dancing $4,230.89
10 Lords-a-Leaping $3,921.44
11 Pipers Piping $1,982.40
12 Drummers Drumming $2,147.60