Gifts from the "12 Days of Christmas" Would Cost Over $40,000 Today—Here's Why

There are some songs that stay in rotation when Christmas comes around each year, and "The 12 Days of Christmas" is a perfect example. While many listen to this tune to get into the holiday spirit, it may give others some inspiration to shop for gifts during this time of year. According to CNN, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) examined its Consumer Price Index on how much it would actually cost today to purchase everything in this song: A partridge in a pear tree, two turtle doves, three French hens, four calling birds, five golden rings, six geese a-laying, seven swans a-swimming, eight maids a-milking, nine ladies dancing, ten lords a-leaping, eleven pipers piping, and 12 drummers a drumming would cost a whopping $41,205.58 in 2021, which is up nearly six percent from 2019.

"It's interesting that our specialty gift basket of goods and services is relatively in line with these elevated price levels," said Amanda Agati, chief investment officer for PNC Asset Management Group. The biggest spikes in costs came from the six geese-a-laying, which increased 57 percent, two turtle doves rose by 50 percent, and three French hens bumped up by 40 percent. This all stemmed from the boosts in food and labor expenses. Overall, the priciest item on the list was the seven swans-a-swimming, totaling $13,125. If someone were to purchase all of the gifts every time they are mentioned in the classic tune, they would have to pay $179,454. "Consumer behavior is the drumbeat for the US economy," Agati said. "With 70 percent of US GDP tied to consumption, consumer health is key to future market performance. Keep an eye on retail sales, savings rates and consumer sentiment as indicators of the success of this holiday season."

When it comes to Christmas gifting, Americans say that purchasing the items to place under their Christmas tree is just half the battle. In a survey os 2,000 Americans commissioned by Slickdeals and conducted by OnePoll, 52 percent of respondents noted that wrapping presents was the worst part of the holiday season. In fact, 51 percent said that they disliked wrapping gifts so much that they would have a professional handle this task or only buy presents that are easy to wrap. As for the hardest gifts to wrap? Fifty-five percent of respondents said bicycles, 46 percent said gym equipment, 45 percent said sports balls, 45 percent said guitars, and 22 percent said candles.

Aside from wrapping, the survey participants struggle with another common holiday tradition: Secret Santa. About 80 percent said that this wasn't something they enjoyed because they weren't sure what to give their Secret Santa partner. Plus, 87 percent of respondents noted that they re-gift the presents that they've gotten from previous Secret Santa events, including disliked gifts, like bars of soap and assortments of vegetables. Almost 40 percent still plan on participating in this holiday-centric practice, though. Eighty-six percent of people putting a budget on how much they are willing to spend on a Secret Santa gift and 93 percent of respondents keep an eye out for sales to keep spending costs at a minimum. On average, people pay $85 for their Secret Santa gifts each year.