Siris

Friday, December 26, 2025

Total Christmas Price Index (CPI)

Even with its small basket of goods and services, the PNC Christmas Price Index is not immune to the rising costs in the broader U.S. economy, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.

$51,476.12 (+4.5%)

*****

True Cost of Christmas in Song
$218,542.98 (+4.4%)
This represents the total cost of all the gifts bestowed by True Love when you count each repetition of the song, totaling 364 presents. Spreading cheer throughout the year in 2025 costs 4.4% more than in 2024.
****

"Core" Index (Excluding Swans)
$38,351.12 (+6.1%)
This version of the CPI removes the most volatile gift from the index - the Swans-a-Swimming.

The most expensive gift in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is the Ten Lords A-Leaping, at $16,836.14. The sharpest rise in cost this year, percentagewise, was the Five Golden Rings, at a ringing 32.5%.

Since 1984, the U. S. Consumer Price Index has increased 223%, while the PNC Christmas Price Index has increased 157%. The two have tended to rise together, more or less, but, of course, the Christmas Price Index is weighted very heavily toward entertainment services, and also birds.

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Clamavi De Profundis, "See Amid the Winter's Snow"

Clamavi De Profundis, "See Amid the Winter's Snow".

Epephane he Charis tou Theou

For the grace of God has manifested, salvific for all human beings, training us that, having disavowed irreverence and worldly cravings, we should live temperately and justly and reverently in the current eon, being ready for the happy expectation and manifestation of the great God and our Savior, Christ Jesus, who offered himself for us that he might ransom us from all lawlessness and might purify for himself a prized people eager for splendid deeds.
Tell these things, and exhort and reprove with full authoritativeness; let no one discount you.

[Titus 2:11-15, my rough translation. 'Wordly' is 'cosmic', i.e., 'of this world-order', and may connect with the 'current eon', an aeon being the world-epoch, a perpetuity, an age that has a unified structure and character, the world as a historical entity.

This passage seems clearly to refer to the cardinal virtues -- temperance and justice are explicitly mentioned, and eusebeia, reverence, has often substituted for or been associated with prudence in the list of cardinal virtues; so perhaps we should see the 'being ready for', which can also mean 'awaiting', 'abiding', or 'enduring', as a reference to fortitude.

Laon periousion, here translated as 'prized people', is used in several places in the Septuagint: Exodus 19:5 ('out of all nations, you will be my treasured possession'), Deuteronomy 7:6 ('The Lord God has chosen you out of all peoples on the earth to be his people, his treasured possession'), Deuteronomy 14:2, Deuteronomy 26:18. It has historically been translated as a 'peculiar people' because the Latin peculium means 'personal possession or funds'. Laon could also mean 'tribe', 'nation', or 'ethnicity'; it indicates a community with a common heritage. 'Eager for splendid deeds' is often translated as 'zealous for good works', but kalon means good in the sense of 'fine/splendid/noble' -- it's the kind of good associated with heroes and outstanding or exemplary people.]

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Christmas-Greetings
by Lewis Carroll
Lady dear, if Fairies may
For a moment lay aside
Cunning tricks and elfish play,
'Tis at happy Christmas-tide.

We have heard the children say --
Gentle children, whom we love --
Long ago, on Christmas Day,
Came a message from above.

Still, as Christmas-tide comes round,
They remember it again --
Echo still the joyful sound
'Peace on earth, good-will to men!'

Yet the hearts must childlike be
Where such heavenly guests abide:
Unto children, in their glee,
All the year is Christmas-tide!

Thus, forgetting tricks and play
For a moment, Lady dear,
We would wish you, if we may,
Merry Christmas, glad New Year!