Al Anderson [re~born]

Al Anderson>article

Twelve Days Of Christmas Cost $65K

The PNC Bank Advisors calculate the cost of the Christmas song every year and create a Christmas cost index based on their findings.

The Twelve Days of Christmas was always and extravagant song with some items that really could not be bought. I am not certain where to find one maid willing to milk a cow, in unison with seven other sisters of the milk maid union, for the pleasure of one person. Of course the Lords a-leaping and the ladies dancing is simply hiring dancers and the drummers drumming is hiring musicians. Incidentally, it looks like the cost of drummers is up, we might have to move them earlier in the song to get the cost down ;-) .

PNC says:

The cost of the five gold rings dropped by 5.6 percent, and the pear tree is down a full 28.6 percent from last year.

However, these discounts were offset by the dancers, pipers, and drummers who have seen significant increases in the cost of their services over 2002…

Two exceptions to this trend, however, are the swans and the calling birds, which cost significantly more this year. Unlike 2002, when swans took a significant dive in price, these graceful feathered friends have bounced back to their 2001 level of $500 a piece, up from $300 last year, according to the Philadelphia Zoo. The four calling birds are also flying high at $400, more than a 26 percent increase from last year. “The bird prices tend to be stable, except when supply and demand get out of sync, causing the prices to move dramatically,” said Rebekah McCahan, investment strategist who provides the research for the Christmas Price Index. “The low inventory of calling birds and swans this year, combined with a resurgence in demand, has boosted prices — a sign of consumer confidence returning,” she added. All told, the swans, geese, calling birds, French hens, turtle doves, and partridges cost over $4,100, representing about 25 percent of the overall Index.

1. What would really be fun would be to have a Christmas wedding and buy/hire all of this for the reception.
   — webjones    Dec 27, 08:26    #