Gift Guide 16: Advent Calendars

The thrill of 24 tiny presents.

Does anyone know precisely when Advent calendars became a massive thing? The Advent calendars I recall from my childhood were either made of felt, construction paper, or wood. They counted down the days in a non-commercial way, especially if your Advent calendar was a school activity that resulted in a chain o’ paper that could be ripped away loop by loop as the calendar wound down to Christmas.

To be completely honest, I’d never been one to fold Advent calendars into my holiday celebrations until about ten years ago when my colleague – a devout Muslim – introduced me to his favorite December ritual: the Trader Joe’s chocolate Advent calendar. It was inexpensive and sorta fun (even if the chocolate isn’t all that great). I noticed the chocolate countdown helped me savor the season a bit more.

Since then, I’ve enjoyed Advent calendars filled with tea, jam, chocolate, and Legos. I’ve also made it a point to work through an Advent study from She Reads Truth every year.

I suspect most people buying Advent calendars aren’t particularly religious but instead are trying to slow the season a bit. Or maybe they enjoy the suspense of opening a new gift everyday for 24 days. These days, Advent calendars come in all shapes and sizes. Seriously. If you want to go down an absolute rabbit hole, search for “Advent calendar.” You’ll see there’s a calendar for every personality that walks this planet. And the price range for these calendars is all over the place.

After much internet sleuthing and completely confusing my Instagram algorithm, I am delighted to present you with this curated list of Advent calendars. Maybe something here will spark a gift idea, or perhaps you’ll simply marvel at the absolute transformation that has befallen the humble felt Advent calendar.

Twenty four days of tiny Toblerone chocolates sounds just about perfect to me.

This calendar from Murray’s Cheese in New York City will require refrigeration, but it is guaranteed to be a hit with any fans of fromage in your life.

For the Snoopy fans in your life, Williams Sonoma offers a collection of 24 pieces of assorted chocolates covered in a colorful wrap featuring the beloved characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles M. Schulz.

Chocolate not your thing? Sugarfina and Hello Kitty teamed up for a fun calendar full of pastel sweets.

If you’re looking for a gift for someone who takes their tea every afternoon around 3pm, might I suggest this calendar from Walker’s Shortbread or this assortment of high-quality tea from Tea Torte packaged neatly in their signature pyramid-shaped bags.

You pretty much can’t go wrong with European chocolate. These calendars full of chocolates from Lindt and Kinder would make for a good gift for a friend, colleague, or even yourself.

While this collection of spices is not exactly a calendar of little treats someone could eat each day, it could be a clever gift for the home cook in your life.

The digital advertising wizards wisely recognize that I prize delicious coffee and subsequently have served me many ads in for the Onyx Coffee Advent calendar. In addition to daily pouches of coffee beans, the calendar includes two specialty decks of playing cards.

(Special shout out to good coffee shop merch like this mug from Messenger Coffee in Kansas City.)

A friend is a major fan of jam, and so it was a no-brainer to gift her this calendar of Bonne Maman jams. They did not disappoint. Plus, the tiny glass jars adorned in the brand’s signature gingham lids are too precious to resist!

Here’s the portion of this gift guide where things veer off into new territory. Chocolates, candies, and even tiny jars of jam feel like classic Advent calendar items. But jewelry? Yes. There is an Advent calendar full of jewelry. And it comes to you from the fine people at Beautiful Earth Boutique, and they kindly let you choose which pieces are included in your calendar.

Continuing on the journey of unexpected luxury items stuffed into tiny numbered drawers, this Jenni Kayne Advent calendar looks spectacular. It includes 12 days of indulgent skincare and the cashmere accessories that put this California brand known for quiet luxury on the map.

Kitsch is a new-to-me brand, but according to all the beauty blogs and magazines, they make great hair accessories. This Advent calendar from Kitsch is packed with hair ties and hair products used by celebrities like Ariana Grande and Kerry Washington.

Continuing with the unexpected beauty items found in Advent calendars, Olive and June offers a calendar filled with not 24 but 25 tiny versions of their fantastic nail polish along with nail files and a miniature version of their clever tool called the “Poppy.”

When it comes to beauty advent calendars, the sky is the limit in terms of choice. Pretty much every major department store or beauty brand is offering an Advent calendar. A few standout collections include this calendar from Neiman Marcus, this option from Sephora, and this calendar that apparently could double as a dart board from Jo Malone.

Before embarking on this humble gift guide, I consulted a few friends as to which Advent calendar they might purchase annually. My L.A.-based friend K highly recommended the L’Occitane Advent calendar, and so I took a closer look. It doesn’t disappoint. Where some Advent calendars from beauty brands are full of one-off products or seasonal scents, this calendar is packed full of the good stuff. I suppose the calendar could be good way to try new things, but if you fall in love with one of these tiny products you’re out of luck. And most seasonal scents are just weird (no one really wants to smell like a pine tree, do they?). With this calendar, L’Occitane doesn’t skimp on the good stuff, and they even include 3 deluxe sizes.

Another friend responded to my request for Advent calendar guidance with a truism: in the vast landscape of Advent calendars, there is one that reigns supreme. And that calendar, my friends, comes to us from the always impeccable Diptyque. The price tag is not for the faint of heart, however, which led my friend and I to exercise a little girl math. If we split the calendar, that’d be a more reasonable price, right? Every detail about this year’s calendar is thoughtful and luxe. The calendar is a wooden box designed to represent a “bookshop in Saint-Germain-des-Prés a few days before Christmas,” and tells the story of the shopkeeper and “his mischievous, highly literate cat, Archibald.” Lucky recipients of this calendar will delight in 25 surprises, include large candles, limited edition scents (guaranteed to smell delightful and not like some pine-scented car air freshener), lotion, perfume, and soap. Sigh! This is the Advent calendar dreams are made of.

By now, you may be feeling overwhelmed by tiny beauty items or the risk of acquiring a whole bunch more stuff you don’t need. I get it! One could argue Advent calendars have jumped the shark, so to speak. If that’s where you are, let’s go back to the Advent calendars of our youth. Calendars made of humble materials and lacking in shiny new toys or sweets. Instead, you can use these calendars to simply mark the days of the season or an opportunity to be creative as you decide which treasures fill the numbered drawers.

It should come as no surprise to you when I tell you Pottery Barn Kids absolutely nails the simple Advent calendar. There is this hand-stitched hanging calendar crafted from pure wool which is the result of a partnership with Rifle Paper Co. And there is also this charming felt activity calendar. Both calendars can be personalized.

Speaking of Rifle Paper Co., they offer this hanging calendar adorned with small numbered pockets and images inspired by the Nativity. You count down the days of the season with a tiny woolen angel.

If you’re looking for a more substantial calendar you can stuff with goodies, here are three great options. First, a classic-looking hotel decorated for the holidays and adorned with lights from Crate and Barrel. Or tuck small chocolates into this tree from LL Bean or into this lovely wooden box painted with gingerbread men, Santa, and other holiday images.

Of course, one does not require an Advent calendar to mark the days of a season. But after a year like this year, I do hope you are able to savor the last month and fill the days with joy and delight.

Note: Amazon Affiliate links are tucked into this post, so if you make a purchase I may earn a small commission.