On 3 December 1985, The Boston Globe printed a story about the cost of
the presents
in the traditional holiday song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” suggesting
that the total cost would be $12,280 and ending with “it might be easier
to settle for a sweater.” The Globe article listed the cost of each of
the items and found the total. Actually, that was not the correct cost for the
presents in 1985.
If you sing the song, you quickly discover that only the last gift of 12 drummers
drumming is given once. On the first day “my true love gave to me a partridge
in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two turtle
doves and a partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas my true love
gave to me three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree....” As
you can see the gifts accumulate quickly and the price adds up quickly.
Here are the prices as of December 2001 for each of the items:
one partridge $15 and one pear tree $125
two turtle doves $58
three French hens $15
four calling birds $316
five gold rings $375
six geese-a-laying $150
seven swans-a-swimming $3,500
eight maids-a-milking $41.21
nine ladies dancing $4,019.24
ten lords-a-leaping $3,770.62
eleven pipers piping $1,614.60
twelve drummers drumming $1,749.15
How much would my true love need to spend to buy me all of these gifts according
to these prices?
If I was overwhelmed by the space that the number of gifts took up in my home
and decided to return them, one each day starting the day after Christmas, on
which date would I return the last gift?
What is the percent inflation since 1985 for just one of each gift? |
