Three french hens will cost a few hundred U.S. dollars--and that's one of the less expensive items.

Answer: $49,263.47 (up 5.4% from last year)

Questions:

• What items do you/your family purchase around the holidays? Have you noticed any change in their prices?
• What are some strategies people can use to save money on gifts and other seasonal purchases?
• Do you prefer experiences or tangible gifts? Why?

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (PNC Christmas Price Index): 

"The PNC Christmas Price Index^® is an annual tradition which shows the current cost for one set of each of the gifts given in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

It is similar to the U.S. Consumer Price Index, which measures the changing prices of goods and services like housing, food, clothing, transportation and more that reflect the spending habits of the average American.

The goods and services in the PNC Christmas Price Index® are far more whimsical, of course. And most years, the price changes closely mirror those in the U.S. Consumer Price Index.

It’s a fun way to measure consumer spending and trends in the economy. So, even if Pipers Piping or Geese-a-Laying didn’t make your gift list this year, you can still learn a lot by checking out why their prices have increased or decreased over the years."

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Looking for other ways to teach about inflation? Get your students out of their seat with MOVE: Inflation Over Time!

About the Author

Kathryn Dawson

Kathryn (she/her) is excited to join the NGPF team after 9 years of experience in education as a mentor, tutor, and special education teacher. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in policy analysis and management and has a master's degree in education from Brooklyn College. Kathryn is looking forward to bringing her passion for accessibility and educational justice into curriculum design at NGPF. During her free time, Kathryn loves embarking on cooking projects, walking around her Seattle neighborhood with her dog, or lounging in a hammock with a book.