Here's How Much That Partridge in a Pear Tree and the Rest of the Twelve Days of Christmas Really Cost

You know the song "Twelve Days of Christmas," but have you ever wanted to buy the whole kit and caboodle?

PNC has calculated the cost — and it's higher this year than it was in 2013.

Purchasing every item mentioned in the classic Christmas tue will run an American $27,673.21 in traditional stores, or a whopping $42,959.07 online, PNC reported in its annual Christmas Price Index.

Compared to last year, that's a 1 percent increase for traditional purchases and an 8 percent bump online.

(Image via Wil C. Fry/flickr)

Birds drove much of the price increases, with swans and geese both clocking huge changes between 2013 and 2014.

Why the difference between internet and brick-and-mortar shopping?

"Today, it’s easier for us to find the goods and services listed in the song online," PNC's FAQs explain. "This convenience comes at a price, however: goods and services from the survey that are purchased online tend to be more expensive than those purchased in a more traditional transaction, mainly due to added shipping and handling costs of the specialty items."

The value of the index, PNC noted, lies in how it tends to mirror overall inflation.

“While there are exceptions in given years, what’s most interesting about the index’s history is that since the beginning [in 1984], year-over-year increases have averaged 2.8 percent, which is exactly the same number as the U.S. inflation index,” said Jim Dunigan, chief investment officer at PNC Wealth Management.

The numbers above reflect the cost of buying one set of each of the 12 days worth of gifts. For the hardcore shopper interested in buying every item in the song each time it's mentioned (for a total of 364 gifts), the "true cost of Christmas in song" runs close to $200,000.

See the full index below:

Image via PNC/Business Insider

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