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The 12 Days of Christmas: Data Edition

Written by Harry Dix | Dec 23, 2024

While we're sure you're enjoying a much-deserved break from all things business, we knew you simply couldn't resist one last data-related read for the year. And in the spirit of the Holiday season, we found inspiration in a Christmas classic!

One particularly generous and creative true love was made famous in the classic British carol The 12 Days of Christmas for lavishing his sweetheart with a lengthy list of gifts.

GoodData Advent Calendar

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Season's Greetings.

More festive fun

According to the PNC Christmas Price Index, the real cost of the presents is up 5.4% this year to a whopping $49,263.47 — that’s if you can even find the full list of obscurities. While debate over the song’s true meaning lingers, we thought it would be fun to explore an alternative look at the carol’s lyrics. So, without further ado, enjoy the slightly obscure stats below, and from all of us here at GoodData, have a wonderful holiday season and New Year!

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

The Endicott Pear Tree, located in Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts, is believed to be the oldest living cultivated fruit tree in North America. There are no partridges currently living in said Pear tree — as far as we know.

2 Turtle Doves

Turtle Dove numbers in the UK have plummeted by an estimated 99% since their peak in the late 1960s. Think of doves people...

3 French Hens

Call them French hens, Faverolles, or just little fancy chickens; they're now raised primarily for exhibition. There are 6,990,000 Google results (and counting) for "Julia Child chicken recipes."

4 Calling Birds

3.1% of households have birds as pets; a whopping 3.7 million households; with an average of 2.3 birds per household (in case you were wondering).

5 Gold Rings

While not gold, the five Olympic rings represent the union of five continents (America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania). The actual origin of this verse is also thought to be bird-related (like the four that precede it), representing the markings on a ring-necked pheasant.

6 Geese A-Laying

More than just a provider of eggs, one particular goose has been delighting children since the 1600s. The Real Mother Goose is the 33rd best-selling children's book of all time, with 3.6 million copies sold by 1986.

7 Swans A-Swimming

Move over dancing ladies, these swans do more than simply swim. The movie Black Swan grossed $329 million worldwide; Swan Lake was first released in 1877; and Bjork's swan dress is ranked the 9th most iconic dress of all time.

8 Maids A-Milking

It's not just cows providing the milk these days though. While dairy is still the most popular form of milk drink, the global dairy alternatives market size was valued at USD 28.55 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow from USD 32.38 billion in 2024 to USD 91.15 billion by 2032.

9 Ladies Dancing

'Tis the season to be... dancing. 40% of annual ticket revenues at major American ballet companies are generated by performances of The Nutcracker.

10 Lords A-Leaping

There's leaping and then there's leaping. The first world record for the men's 110-meter hurdles was set in 1908 at 15 seconds. By 2012 Aries Merritt had brought this down to 12.80 seconds.

11 Pipers Piping

Only 11? 255 pipe bands competed in the 2013 World Pipe Band Competition — held annually in Scotland.

12 Drummers Drumming

You're going to need more than 12 to play the largest drum set of all time, created by Mark Temperato and comprising 813 pieces. Or alternatively, just one drummer, John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, voted the No. 1 in Rolling Stone's 2016 100 Greatest Drummers of all Time. On the other hand, if close to $50,000 doesn't seem enough to spend on a list of Christmas gifts, you could hike it up to 2.25 million by buying Ringo Starr's Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl Drum Kit which was auctioned in 2015 for $2.2 million dollars!