HOLIDAY HIJINX

THE ITEMS IN "THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS" WOULD COST $86,609:

Every year, a company called PNC Wealth Management releases a list which tallies the total cost of all the items mentioned in the classic Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas". Here's what they came up with . . .

--12 Drummers Drumming: $2,475.20

--11 Pipers Piping: $2,284.80

--TEN Lords-a-Leaping: $4,413.61

--NINE Ladies Dancing: $4,759.19

--EIGHT Maids-a-Milking: $52.40

--SEVEN Swans-a-Swimming: $5,600

--SIX Geese-a-Laying: $240

--FIVE Golden Rings: $349.95

--FOUR Calling Birds: $599.96

--THREE French Hens: $30

--TWO turtle doves: $55

--A Partridge in a Pear Tree: $219.99

So, if you add up the cost of all the items for each of the 12 days of Christmas . . . the total cost in the carol comes to $86,609. --Overall, that's an increase of $8,508 . . . or 10.9% . . . from last year. (--In other words, the total cost of the items last year was $78,101.) (Google News)