Buying the “Twelve Days of Christmas” Gifts a Bargain This Year

If you buy all the gifts listed in the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” you’ll get them for only $198.00 more than last year. Total cost for the 12 gifts is $34,130.99, according to PNC Financial Services Co. of Pittsburgh, PA.

The financial group has calculated the price of the gifts listed in the iconic Christmas song over several years. In this year’s news release, PNC says the 2015 cost is the smallest increase for the past six years because of a low inflation rate. Nine of the twelve gifts kept the same costs as last year.  

Two of the daily gift totals vary greatly from the most expensive to the least costly. Seven swans-a-swimming cost more than anything else at $13,125.00; the same price as last year. The least expensive group is the eight maids-a-milking for $58.00. That’s chump change compared to the seven swans. I guess the PNC number crunchers found the eight maids were considered unskilled labor. Those seven swans had to be some kind of precious birds at their price.

PNC Financial, the acknowledged expert source, listed each day’s total and the amounts of price changes:

• One partridge in a pear tree for $241.99, up 3% from last year’s $207.68
• Two turtle doves for $290.00, up 11.5% from $260.00 last year
• Three French hens cost $181.50, no change from 2014
• Four calling birds will set you back $599.96, the same as last year
• Five golden rings are estimated at $750.00, same price last year
• Six Geese-a-laying cost $360.00, same price as last year
• Seven swans-a-swimming cost an outrageous $13,125.00 (are they doing the back stroke?) with no change from 2014
• Eight maids-a-milking cost only $58.00 (they need a stronger union) with no cost change
• Nine ladies dancing are at a pricey $7,552.84, same price last year
• Ten lords-a-leaping cost $5,508.70, and that’s up 3% from last year’s price of $5,348.24
• Eleven pipers piping will charge you $2,635.20, no change
• Twelve drummers drumming bring a price tag of $2,854.80, no difference from 2014.

The Christmas carol began its known lineage in 1780 England as a chant or rhyme without music, according to Wikipedia. An author’s identity was not found in any documents. It went through several changes in the words that were eventually sung. The standard tune associated with it came from a 1909 arrangement of a traditional folk melody by English composer Frederic Astin. He’s given credit for introducing the prolongation of the verse “five gold rings” that’s often sung as “five golden rings.”

The repetition of the song makes it recognizable immediately. The carol, translated into hundreds of languages, is sung thousands of times over the radio and as part of television presentations throughout the world during the Christmas season.

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