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The '12 Days of Christmas' Costs a Little More This Year

This year it'll cost a little more if you want to put everything from the "12 Days of Christmas" song under your tree.
Shoppers walk among illuminated Christmas decorations in a shopping mall at Berlin's Potsdamer Platz
REUTERS/Fabrizio BenschREUTERS

This year it'll cost a little more if you want to put everything from the "12 Days of Christmas" song under your tree.

The price of turtle doves taking flight along with the cost of musicians marching upwards has caused the overall tally of the 12 gifts listed in the carol to bump up to $34,363 from $34,131, according to the 33rd annual PNC Wealth Management Christmas Price Index.

The birds increased from $290 to $375 while the 11 pipers piping increased from $2,635 to $2,708 and the 12 drummers drumming from $2,885 to $2,934.

Nine of the other items on the list stayed the same or got cheaper.

Every year PNC Financial Group releases the index as a humorous way to track inflation in the economy. So the eight maids-a-milking and 23 musicians reflect real labor costs. And the price of five gold rings gives an insight into commodities.

"The economy continues to expand, and it is likely the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this month or early next year," said PNC's Thomas Melcher.

"Consumers appear to be cautiously optimistic spenders this year, and we’re anticipating a slight improvement in the holiday retail season," he said.

The complete set of prices for buying everything in the song from a physical store is as follows:

  • Partridge, $20; last year: $25
  • Pear tree, $190; last year: same
  • Two turtle doves, $375; last year: $290
  • Three French hens, $182; last year: same
  • Four calling birds (canaries), $600; last year: same
  • Five gold rings, $750; last year: same
  • Six geese-a-laying, $360; last year: same
  • Seven swans a-swimming, $13,125; last year: same
  • Eight maids a-milking, $58; last year: same
  • Nine ladies dancing (per performance), $7,553; last year: same
  • 10 lords a-leaping (per performance), $5,509; last year: same
  • 11 pipers piping (per performance), $2,708; last year: $2,635
  • 12 drummers drumming (per performance), $2,934; last year: $2,855