# The true cost of the 12 days of Christmas

By Murray Bourne, 16 Dec 2006

This is cute. There is an index that tracks the total cost of the items in the song "12 Days of Christmas."

Last year, according to Money Central (link no longer available), the cost was \$72,608.02. [I have used the "total cost" figure, as strictly, in the song you buy the partridge in the pear tree 12 times, the 2 turtle doves 11 times (making 22 in all) and so on.]

As an inflation measure, this index is quite interesting. There is even a separate calculation for online purchase of the items.

I didn't know about these religious symbols for the song:

# The 'partridge in a pear tree' means there is only one God.
# The 'two turtle doves' are the Old and New Testaments.
# The 'three French hens' are the three Persons of the holy Trinity, etc

So Christmas isn't only about money...?

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