Last year, the “True Cost of Christmas” rang in at $78,100. The “True Cost of Christmas” is the price of all of the items mentioned in the song “12 Days of Christmas” assuming that you sing all of the verses. The 78 items are mentioned over and over – if you count them one at a time, there are 364 items.
This year, it’s a bit more expensive to buy the whole kit and caboodle. To buy the “True Cost of Christmas” this year would put you back $86,609, an increase of more than 10%.
What explains the increase? Mostly those darn swans. Seven swans a-swimming have increased in price more than 33.3%. Also on the rise? The eight maids a-milking. There was a minimum wage increase this year for unskilled labor, remember? Other performers, like the eight pipers piping, were just a few percentage points more expensive.
In contrast, gold has dropped since last year, making those five golden rings 11.4% less costly. The three French hens and six geese a-laying have also dropped in price.
If that’s a bit too much for your wallet, you might consider purchasing just the 78 items (1 partridge in a pear tree, 2 turtle doves, 3 French hens, 4 calling birds, 5 golden rings, 6 geese a-laying, 7 swans a-swimming, 8 maids a-milking, 9 ladies dancing, 10 lords a-leaping, 11 pipers piping, 12 drummers drumming) for a mere $21,080. That’s a $1,573 increase over last year.
Pennsylvania’s own PNC Financial Services, located in Pittsburgh (Go Steelers!), maintains the annual Christmas Price Index. The PNC CPI (not to be confused with the Consumer Price Index) has noted the costs of commodities, labor and goods listed in the “12 Days of Christmas” for the past 24 years.
Cool post! One that could come only from the mind of a tax pro.
P.S. Love your tweets too.
Nice post. Would have never thought to research those items.
btw. GO BROWNS