‘Twelve Days’ are expensive

Dear Readers: Merry Christmas. We hope you are fortunate enough to be with family and friends today. Those who can volunteer their time in nursing homes, hospitals or soup kitchens, please do so.

For the past few years, we have printed the annual PNC Christmas Price Index for the daily gifts given by the singer’s true love in “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” which we find interesting and amusing. Enjoy:

A partridge in a pear tree will set you back $207.68, an increase of 3.8 percent over last year.

Two turtledoves will cost you $125, the same price since 2012.

Three French hens now cost $181.50, up 10 percent over last year.

Four calling birds are fetching $599.96, the same as last year.

Five gold rings cost $750 this year, the same price two years in a row.

Six geese-a-laying go for $360, a whopping increase of 71.4 percent.

Seven swans-a-swimming are going for $7,000 – still pricey, but no more than before, unless you order them online, in which case, they went up 30 percent.

Eight maids-a-milking will cost you $58, still at minimum wage, the same price for the past three years.

Nine ladies dancing are going for $7,552.84, the same price as last year.

Ten lords-a-leaping now cost $5,348.24, a 2 percent salary hike.

Eleven pipers piping will cost $2,635.20, the same price as last year.

Twelve drummers drumming will set you back $2,854.50, no increase from last year.

The total cost of these gifts would be $116,273.06, plus shipping. Have a happy holiday. Don’t buy your swans online.