What will the “12 Days of Christmas” gift list cost you?

Back in 2014, we decided to see if we could put a price on the items listed in the “12 Days of Christmas” carol. We’re not sure who on your Christmas list would want a partridge in a pear tree, but if they did, here’s what it, and every other item would have cost you back in 2014 when it was first posted…and what it would have cost in 2020, according to the PNC Wealth Management Christmas Price Index

CAVEAT: Due to COVID protocols, ladies dancing, lords a leaping, pipers piping, and drummers drumming were all quarantined in 2020, so we are using 2019 prices for those specific gifts. Plus, we have not included inflationary rises which would affect pricing in 2021.

And, if you calculate the cost of each item for the number of times they’re mentioned in the song, the price would be a staggering $174,242. So, considering the mess all those birds would create, we think you’d be better off getting everybody gift cards.

*In 2014, cost was based on minimum wage of $7.25. That also held true for 2020, but with the worker shortage, minimum wage has increased in many states across the U.S. so this number will likely change.

**That’s the total for a single performance, or $839.22 per lady

***This is the total for one performance, or $1,000 a leaper (a-leaping is costlier than a-dancing) .

+The total for one performance, at $239.55 each (obviously pipers are not at a premium).

++The total for one performance at $237.92 each (it’s worth paying just to make them stop!)

ALERT! Due to supply chain disruptions it’s unlikely that anything on the list is going to be available any time soon.