PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — People are hurrying to get their holiday shopping done, but one Christmas classic song can be gifted to a special someone in the Portland metro area.
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a Christmas carol sang by many this time of year and describes what a “true love” is gifted for 12 days starting on Christmas Day.
Luckily, these gifts can also be found – somewhat – in the Portland area. Want to find out how much it would cost? Scroll to the bottom of the list to find out.
PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE ($104.49)
It’s pretty difficult to find a live partridge for sale, but the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has an annual game bird hunting license available for residents ($34.50) and an upland game bird validation ($10) available for purchase.
Hunting season for chuckar and Hungarian (gray) partridges is available through Jan. 31, 2022, statewide.
As for a pear tree, Farmington Gardens in Beaverton has pear trees available starting at $59.99.
According to PNC Bank, who has calculated the price of these 12 gifts from the classic song for 38 years, the price of a partridge in a pear tree has gone up 6% due to the rising cost of the tree.
TWO TURTLE DOVES ($200)
Bright Eyes Dove Release in Vancouver said that it costs $200 for a pair of doves to be released. However, prices can change due to a special event or where the business would have to travel for the doves to fly away.
“These two birds were among the most changed gifts in the index this year, reflecting volatility in the markets overall so far in 2021,” said the PNC Christmas Price Index.
THREE FRENCH HENS ($102)
Again, tough to find live birds for sale – especially this time of the year – but Mama Bird is a restaurant in Northwest Portland selling wood fire grilled chicken, including whole chickens for $34 each.
The PNC Christmas Price Index said the price of these birds is on the rise by more than 40%.
FOUR CALLING BIRDS ($120)
You can purchase birds “with various calls” from the Bird Hut in Southeast Portland starting at $30.
This is a deal compared to the price of $599.96 in the PNC Christmas Price Index.
FIVE GOLD RINGS ($975)
ABC Jewelry Co. in downtown Portland has five gold 2-millimeter gold bands available for your “true love.”
The index has a comparable price at $895 for gold rings.
SIX GEESE-A-LAYING ($1,200)
Holderread Waterfowl Farm in Philomath, located in Benton County, have average Oregon Mini Geese available for $200 each.
“They jumped in price by more than 57% this year the highest increase of any gift in the index,” said PNC Bank in its report.
SEVEN SWANS-A-SWIMMING ($30)
The Portland Audubon Society has a virtual Winter Waterfowl event where people will learn how to identify ducks, geese and swans by looking at shape, behavior and pattern, with an emphasis on identifying birds at a distance. The event is $20 for members and $30 for non-members.
If you would like to attend, the class starts at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11.
To buy actual two swans for your “true love,” it’ll cost you $13,125, according to the index.
EIGHT MAIDS-A-MILKING ($20)
As you can probably guess, this was a tough one to find. However, there is a “learn how to milk a cow” class in Sandy through Airbnb.
People get to spend time with the animals, learn what they eat and how to care for them. From there, guests can learn how to milk a cow by hand or through a machine and later strain the milk.
The class is $20 a person and the event location will provide milking equipment but no clothing for farm work.
This is cheaper than hiring eight maids to milk a cow for $58 on the PNC Christmas Price Index.
NINE LADIES DANCING ($1,800)
NW Iconic Characters – CG Entertainment, which is a network of artists and businesses throughout the Pacific Northwest, can provide nine dancers for three hours at $200 for each performer.
The index lists nine performers at $7,552.84.
TEN LORDS-A-LEAPING ($1790)
Skydive Oregon in Molalla has a discounted rate for more than six people at $179 per person.
PNC Christmas Price Index lists this gift at $11,260.
ELEVEN PIPERS PIPING ($253)
A Gospel Christmas with the Oregon Symphony starts Friday, Dec. 10. Group prices start at $23 per ticket due to a 10% discounted rate.
According to the symphony, prices are subject to change and people are encouraged to contact Adam Cifarelli at the ticket office for group rates.
“The return of live music performance may well be worth it to your true love,” according to the PNC Christmas Price Index, which cites a 7.1% price increase for the gift.
TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING ($500)
The Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers in Portland perform at private and public events in the community. As for pricing, time, date, and location play a factor in how much your true love would be willing to spend.
The cost is also impacted by having to learn new music or wearing other uniforms.
The PNC Christmas Price Index listed this gift at $3,183.17.