Military command ready to track Santa, and everyone can follow along

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

The first day of the Twelve Days of Christmas starts on a modest note, at just $89 total. This figure includes the partridge, which costs just $14, and the pear tree, which costs $75.

Two Turtle Doves

Love, hope, and peace take center stage on the second day of Christmas. This avian duo is also the second-most affordable gift of all twelve days. Nevertheless, their cost, while modest compared to the extravagant gifts on days three through twelve, is more than double that of the partridge in a pear tree.

Three French Hens

While the specific type of "French hen" mentioned in the carol remains unclear, Bresse hens were chosen for this analysis. The Bresse chicken is a traditional French breed originating from the Rhone-Alpes region. Their red crests, white bodies, and blue legs are also reminiscent of the tricolored French flag.

Four Calling Birds

This gift has been the subject of ongoing debate, as the two most common versions of this line in the carol are "four calling birds" and "four colly birds." The difference lies in the interpretation. "Colly birds" are an outdated term for blackbirds, while "calling birds" could be interpreted to mean songbirds in general. For this analysis, a blackbird (which is a type of songbird) was chosen to satisfy both interpretations.

Five Gold Rings

Originally, these rings may have referred to pheasants due to the ring-like markings around their necks, but nowadays, "five gold rings" is interpreted literally. It's important to note that the cost of gold rings can vary significantly, influenced by factors like style, ring size, weight, and karat. A 14-karat plain gold band was selected for this analysis due to its wide availability and representation as a balanced middle ground between 10-karat and 18-karat alternatives.

Six Geese A-Laying

Among all the gifts in "The Twelve Days of Christmas," "six geese a-laying" is the third-most affordable, totaling $273. If comparing the price per bird, geese were the second-most economical choice of all the birds, behind partridges which cost $14.

Seven Swans A-Swimming

The "seven swans a-swimming" are the most extravagant gift among the twelve days at $10,983, with each swan carrying a hefty price tag of $1,569. In fact, they cost more than double the gold rings, which were $769 each. 

Eight Maids A-Milking

The inclusion of the "eight maids a-milking" in the carol is somewhat curious since they seem out of place among the lords, ladies, and musical performers – although they may represent the idea of giving practical gifts. The average hourly wage for these dairy workers is $17.45, which totals to $1,117 for eight working a full 8-hour day.[11]

Nine Ladies Dancing

While costing over $600 more than the "eight maids a-milking," the "nine ladies dancing" are actually the lowest-paid performers in the carol. The average hourly wage for dancers in the United States is $24.62, which equates to $196.96 per day for each dancer.

Ten Lords A-Leaping

The true meaning of the "ten lords a-leaping" in the Twelve Days of Christmas is a mystery, although they may represent joy and merriment. Given that they are described as "leaping," they were categorized as acrobats or performers in this analysis. These capable entertainers earn an average wage of $29.67 per hour or $237.36 per day per performer.

Eleven Pipers Piping

Music is an integral part of the holiday season, bringing people closer and adding to the festive spirit. Of the preceding performers and dairy workers, the eleven pipers are the highest-paid yet, averaging $50.21 per hour, and $401.68 per day per musician.[14]

Twelve Drummers Drumming

Bringing the Twelve Days of Christmas to a lively and cacophonous close is the gift of a dozen drummers. These skilled percussionists are categorized under the same BLS occupational profile as the eleven pipers, so their average wages remain the same at $50.21 per hour.

National Average: $31,243

Alabama: $27,431

Alaska: $31,868

Arizona: $31,212

Arkansas: $27,056

California: $35,148

Colorado: $31,962

Connecticut: $33,243

Delaware: $30,618

Florida: $31,899

Georgia: $29,931

Hawaii: $34,617

Idaho: $28,681

Illinois: $31,649

Indiana: $28,681

Iowa: $27,619

Kansas: $28,119

Kentucky: $27,931

Louisiana: $28,306

Maine: $31,493

Maryland: $32,805

Massachusetts: $34,180

Michigan: $29,181

Minnesota: $30,524

Mississippi: $27,275

Missouri: $28,462

Montana: $28,212

Nebraska: $28,056

Nevada: $30,118

New Hampshire: $33,618

New Jersey: $33,992

New Mexico: $28,431

New York: $33,618

North Carolina: $29,431

North Dakota: $27,713

Ohio: $28,587

Oklahoma: $27,744

Oregon: $33,305

Pennsylvania: $30,056

Rhode Island: $32,711

South Carolina: $29,244

South Dakota: $27,494

Tennessee: $28,681

Texas: $30,462

Utah: $29,525

Vermont: $31,587

Virginia: $31,899

Washington: $34,305

West Virginia: $27,869

Wisconsin: $28,837

Wyoming: $28,712

To estimate the cost of the gifts listed in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" in each state, researchers at Swyft Filings first calculated the national average cost. Using this national average cost, they then referred to the most recent regional price parity (RPP) data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis to calculate the fluctuations in cost state-by-state. To calculate the national average cost of all the gifts in the "Twelve Days of Christmas," Swyft Filings's research team first categorized each gift as a good or a service. The partridge, pear tree, turtle doves, french hens, calling birds, gold rings, geese, and swans were categorized as goods, while the maids a-milking, ladies dancing, leaping lords, pipers, and drummers were categorized as services. 

Calculating prices for goods: Prices for the partridge, pear tree, turtle doves, french hens, calling birds, geese, and swans were gathered from small businesses across the United States. Based on the state where the good was from, the cost was adjusted using Regional Price Parity data to reflect the national average cost of that good. 

Calculating prices for services: Researchers at Swyft Filings referred to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for data on the cost of each service. Prices were calculated using the national average hourly pay rates of individuals whose BLS occupational profile aligned with those listed in the Christmas carol. Their hourly pay rates were multiplied by the number of people in the song (for example, 8 for "maids a-milking" or 9 for "ladies dancing). Then, that number was multiplied by 8 to represent one full workday. Below is a breakdown of the people listed in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" and their corresponding BLS occupational profiles.

This story was produced by Swyft Filings and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.

NTA Military Nursing Service exam: Apply from December 11 at exams.nta.ac.in

National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced that it will conduct the examination for the Military Nursing Service: Selection for Short Service Commission (SSC) 2023-24 under the Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).

Only female candidates can apply for it.

The examination will be held as a Computer Based Test (CBT) on January 14, 2024. The application window will open on December 11 and close on December 26 and admit cards will be issued in the first week of January.

To apply for the exam, the candidate should be between 21 and 35 years of age on the application deadline.

The CBT will consist of MCQ’s based on Nursing, English Language and General Intelligence. The exam will be in English and there is no negative marking.

The CBT will be in English only. There will be no negative marking.

The computer based exam will have a duration of 150 minutes. The paper timing will be from 10 am to 12:30 pm.

Information about eligibility, scheme of exam, exam centers, exam timings, exam fee, procedure for applying etc. are available on the information bulletin hosted on the website.

“Candidates who are desirous of applying for the exam may go through the Information Bulletin and apply online at https://exams.nta.ac.in/SSCMNS only during the period from 11 December 2023 to 26 December 2023 and also pay the applicable fee, online, through the payment gateway using debit/creditcards, net banking and UPI,” NTA said.

Click here for more details.

Military Nursing Service Exam Registration begins! Check how to apply online at NTA

Summary

Interested and eligible candidates can apply for it on the official website of NTA at exams.nta.ac.in/SSCMNS

The last date for submission of online application is December 26 (till 6 PM)

The online registration process for the Military Nursing Service Exam has been started by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The selection of candidate will be made for Short Service Commission (SSC) 2023-24 under the Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).

Only female candidates are eligible to apply for the positions.

Interested and eligible candidates can apply for it on the official website of NTA at exams.nta.ac.in/SSCMNS. The last date for submission of online application is December 26 (till 6 PM).

Applications submitted only through the online mode mentioned in the notification will be considered. Applications submitted through any other mode will be rejected.

Age limit

Candidates applying for the position should be between the age of 21 to 35 years.

Exam Pattern

The examination will be a Computer Based Test (CBT) and candidates will have to answer multiple-choice questions. Questions will be asked from Nursing, English Language and General Intelligence.

The examination will be of 150 minutes duration and the medium of examination will be in english.

There will be no negative marking for the exam.

Correction Window

Following the application process, candidates will get the chance to make any necessary correction in their application in case of any mistakes.

Exam Date

After the correction window closes, candidates who had applied for the position will be able to download their admit card from the official website in the first week of January. The examination will be conducted on January 14, 2024.

Last updated on 12 Dec 2023