THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS AT TODAYS PRICES

Every year since 1984, PNC Advisors has calculated the market cost of buying your true love all the gifts in the song "The Twelve Days Of Christmas." Strangely, it's been an economic indicator that has closely mirrored the government's Consumer Price Index.

In 1984, after all the receipts were added up, the cost of all the gifts in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" would have set you back $12,623. Today, the total cost has climbed to $17,297, a 1.6 percent annualized increase over 20 years. And it's up 2.4% over last year.

How many presents is it in total? A whopping 78 presents.

If you repeat the gifts on each successive day like the song says to, then the total bill will be $66,334, up from $65,264 in 2003. That's a 1.6% increase.

A few of the individual gifts showed significantly higher spikes in price over last year. For instance, pear trees and geese both went up 20%, and French hens went up a whopping 200%.

The maids-a-milking -- the only unskilled labor in the song -- have not been affected. Based on the same minimum wage as last year, the cost for one hour of the eight maids' time remains flat at $41.20.

Bargain hunters take note -- turtle doves and gold rings are both a bit cheaper this year.

Buying your gifts for all twelve days on the Internet? It'll cost a lot more -- $27,736.50.

The full price breakdown (not bought using the Internet):

Partridge in a Pear Tree - $93 (Partridge - $15; Pear Tree - $78)
Two Turtle Doves - $40
Three French Hens - $45
Four Calling Birds - $396
Five Gold Rings - $255
Six Geese-a-Laying - $210
Seven Swans-a-Swimming - $3,500
Eight Maids-a-Milking - $41.20
Nine Ladies Dancing - $4,400.13
Ten Lords-a-Leaping - $4,039.08
Eleven Pipers Piping - $2,053.20
Twelve Drummers Drumming - $2,224.30