BUYING the set of the gifts named in the classic holiday carol The Twelve Days of Christmas will cost a true love $27,393 this year, up 7.7 percent from the 2012 price tag, according to an annual tongue-in-cheek analysis by PNC Wealth Management.
Prices for most of the items in the song, including the partridge, two turtle doves, three French hens and five gold rings, remained steady from last year.
But the cost for 10 lords-a-leaping jumped 10 percent to $5,243 and nine ladies dancing increased by 20 percent to $7,553.
The swans are the most expensive item at $1000 each. The eight maids-a-milking still cost a total of just $58 because the US federal minimum wage hasn’t risen. At $7.25 each, they’re the least expensive gifts in the song.
And if you buy all 364 items repeated throughout the carol, you’ll pay $114,651 — 6.9 per cent more than last year.
Here’s the cost of the items, in US dollars.
A partridge in a pear tree $199.99.
Two Turtle Doves $125.00
Three French Hens $165.00
Four Calling Birds $599.96
Five Gold Rings $750.00
Six Geese-a-Laying $210.00
Seven Swans-a-Swimming $7,000.00
Eight Maids-a-Milking $58.00
Nine Ladies Dancing $7,552.84
Ten Lords-a-Leaping $5,243.37
Eleven Pipers Piping $2,635.20
Twelve Drummers Drumming $2,854.80
Wow! Didn’t realize being a “true love” at Christmas was so expensive these days. But I feel bad for the eight maids a milking. They seemed to have gotten the short end of the deal here. Thanks for sharing this. It’s hilarious. 🙂
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Thanks…..of course I should have related this whole humorous concept to what it cost our one True Love to love us…..but it is 18 days til Christmas!
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Very true. You can highlight that part at Easter. 🙂
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