Gift Guide #5: Advent Calendars

Because countdowns are the most fun.

Credit: Melanie Maya

I know, I know. Autumn has barely begun and I’m on about Christmas. Some might accuse me missing the joy of this glorious season by already thinking about the next, but experience has shown me the opposite.

By spending a few hours here and there planning for the rush that is Christmas, I am able to savor the season with fewer frantic weekends and late-night runs for tape and wrapping paper. And the sales offered to early birds are a nice bonus.

So, with that, I am sharing a collection of gift guides for the holidays. First up is a list of Advent calendars.

What once was a humble chain of construction paper is now quite the event. Some Advent calendars sell out in the summer! (You’ll find none of those here, dear reader. Even that is too early bird for me.)

I wasn’t always an Advent calendar person. I remember making the aforementioned construction paper chains in elementary school, but they seemed to mark the days to winter break versus welcoming in the Christmas season. It wasn’t until my 30’s that I started to fold Advent into my preparations for Christmas. I was inspired to do so by a colleague who sat at the desk directly next to me.

One day he announced he had to run to Trader Joes to get an Advent calendar before they sold out. I was sort of surprised because this colleague was a devout Muslim. The calendar wasn’t about religion for him but instead about carving space for himself inside a very busy season. And so, I followed his lead and started observing Advent with a calendar and a study each year. It’s been a remarkable way to welcome in the Christmas season for me.  

Now, about those calendars.

Liberty of London Beauty advent calendar. Without fail, I sign up to be notified about this calendar every year and then…I don’t buy it. It’s quite expensive! But the iconic Liberty building makes for a perfect advent calendar, and the luxe beauty products inside make for a delightful daily surprise.

Fortnum and Mason’s tea advent calendar. Ah, Fortnum and Mason – another glorious British staple. For anyone who enjoys attention to detail and superbly made things, these calendars are sure to please. In addition to this calendar for tea drinkers, there are calendars for biscuit lovers, children, and even the family dog.  

Bonne Maman’s jam advent calendar. I gave this calendar to a friend who loves jam. Did not disappoint!

The advent calendar from Diptyque Paris. another very expensive yet highly sought after calendar. I enjoy looking at the design of each year’s calendar.

An advent calendar for book lovers. This might be the perfect gift for a book club friend or colleague.

Walker’s iconic shortbread but make it an advent calendar.

Happy Socks advent calendar. This is another not-so-cheap option, but the socks in these advent calendars are really clever and might just make for a great Christmas gift. (The Beatles calendar is kinda fun)

The 12 flavors of Sichuan advent calendar. I’ve seen lots of miniatures repurposed for advent calendars, but this collection of sauces surprised me. This limited-edition set would be a good one for the home cook who loves Chinese food.

The chocolate lover’s advent calendar. This calendar is full of chocolate truffles inspired by holiday cookies and comes to you from a small confectioner in Austin, TX.