Looking for something for your true love? Three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree aren't cheap gifts, apparently. According to PNC Wealth Management's annual Christmas Price Index, the cost of a set of gifts this year is only slightly higher than last year—$27,673, if purchased in stores.
PNC Wealth Management has been doing the Christmas Price Index for more than three decades. The Christmas Price Index is a spin-off of the Consumer Price Index, which measures the change in price of an assortment of goods over time.
Associated Press published the fully-itemized breakdown of the costs of the gifts mentioned in the song. The biggest price increase came with the "geese a laying," which were $150 more than they were last Christmas season.
Here is a look at the full set of prices from PNC Wealth Management:
- Partridge, $20; last year: $15
- Pear tree, $188; last year: $184
- Two turtle doves, $125; last year: same
- Three French hens, $181; last year: $165
- Four calling birds (canaries), $600; last year: same
- Five gold rings, $750; last year: same
- Six geese-a-laying, $360; last year: $210
- Seven swans a-swimming, $7,000; 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), $5,348; last year: $5,243
- 11 pipers piping (per performance), $2,635; last year: same
- 12 drummers drumming (per performance), $2,855; last year: same
While I don't think many people will be asking for lords a-leaping or swimming swans this year, this is a cute and easy-to-understand way to explain basic economic principles.