Traditionally, Advent calendars are designed to count down the days until Christmas. Some of the most classic options have chocolate, caramels or other sweet treats hidden behind little doors, while others require you to turn on a light or check off a box leading up to the holiday. In recent years, however, Advent calendars have taken on a new life. There are now options available for any holiday you celebrate, and you can buy Advent calendars filled with coffee, wine, socks, Legos, beauty products and more. To ensure our furry friends don’t miss out on the festivities, there are even Advent calendars for cats and dogs.
Because Advent calendars are so popular around the holidays, we recommend purchasing models you have your eye on as early as possible — they tend to sell out as we get closer to Christmas and Hanukkah. Below, we rounded up a handful of Advent calendars you may want to gift yourself or your loved ones this season.
SKIP AHEAD Chocolate and food Advent calendars | Wine Advent calendars | Coffee and tea Advent calendars | Beauty and skin care Advent calendars | Unique Advent calendars | Pet advent calendars
The best advent calendars of 2023
To recommend the best Advent calendars, we included options across categories people tend to search for, like chocolate, wine and beauty. We also included some unique Advent calendars filled with products like socks, jam or candles to make sure there’s something for everyone on your shopping list.
Best chocolate and food advent calendars
Bonne Maman 2023 Limited Edition Advent Calendar
A tiny jar of jam or honey is hidden behind each door of this Advent calendar, allowing you to try 24 different flavors throughout the month. Jams include unique varieties like Caramel with Cinnamon, Raspberry Chocolate and Lemon Yuzu, as well as more standard types like strawberry and raspberry.
Walker’s Shortbread 2023 Limited Edition Advent Calendar
Walker’s Advent calendar takes care of dessert for a month since it’s filled with shortbread cookies you can enjoy with hot cocoa or a glass of cold milk. There are six different cookie types inside the calendar, including all-butter shortbread in shapes like rounds, stars and hearts, chocolate chip cookies and salted caramel squares. If you order the Advent calendar through Walker’s website, you can add a gift message for the recipient.
Compartés Gourmet Chocolate Garden Advent Calendar
Compartés is one of our favorite LGBTQ+-owned businesses, and chocoholics won’t want to miss out on its Advent calendar this holiday season. There are 24 chocolates inside, each of which is decorated with colors, patterns or prints. You’ll also get limited-edition chocolate flavors including Honey Lavender, Caramel Apple, Peanut Butter Banana and Coffee Toffee. If you’re sending the Advent calendar as a gift, you can include a gift message and add gift wrapping for an additional fee.
Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark Advent Calendar
Some people wait all year to munch on peppermint bark, a treat made from layers of semisweet chocolate, white chocolate and peppermint candy. If that sounds like you or a loved one, gift them William Sonoma’s Peppermint Bark Advent Calendar. There’s 24 pieces of bark inside, and each piece is shaped as either a Christmas tree, Santa Claus, toy soldier or snowman.
Vahdam 24 Spices of Christmas Advent Calendar
Vadham’s spices — which the brand sent me to try — are some of my favorites to cook with. They’re fragrant, flavorful and come in beautiful gold tins I like to display in my kitchen. You can gift the chef in your life 24 of the brand’s spices with this Advent calendar. Cinnamon, cloves, onion powder, turmeric, black pepper powder and Himalayan pink sea salt are hidden behind doors, and you can add the spices to your favorite recipes as you open them.
Best wine advent calendars
VineBox 12 Nights of Wine
VineBox offers three types of advent calendars, each of which is filled with multiple 100ml mini bottles of wine from regions like Italy, France and Sonoma — you can pour the bottles directly into a glass and sip. The Cozy Collection calendar comes with 12 red wines, the Chill Collection calendar comes with 12 white wines and the 24 Nights of Wine calendar comes with 24 red and white wines. Each calendar also comes with a wine guide to highlight tasting notes and pairing recommendations, as well as virtual tasting videos you can access by scanning the QR code on the package.
In Good Taste 2023 Wine Advent Calendar
Your loved ones can have a wine tasting in the comfort of their home with In Good Taste’s Advent calendar. It’s filled with 24 bottles of reds, whites and rosés, each of which holds 187ml of wine (equivalent to about ¼ of a traditional bottle of wine, according to the brand). Wine comes from areas around the world like Portugal, California, France and Italy. You can also add a gift note at checkout.
Maker Wine 2023 Wine Advent Calendar
Since this wine comes in cans, there’s no need to pour it into a glass — just crack it open and sip. The Advent calendar includes 12 cans from different women- or minority-owned wineries, and you’ll get a mix of reds, whites, rosés and sparkling varieties. The wines are dry and made with zero grams of sugar, according to the brand. You can add a gift message if you’re shipping the Advent calendar directly to a loved one.
Best coffee and tea advent calendars
Bean Box 12 Mornings of Coffee Advent Calendar
Wake up to a new type of coffee every morning for 12 days with this Advent calendar from Bean Box. The mini bags hidden inside come with enough beans or grounds to make up to six servings of coffee, and you can brew it with a French press, pour over, drip machine or reusable single-serve pod. Each coffee variety comes from a U.S. roaster and has different tasting notes, like roasted chestnut, gingerbread, figgy pudding and more.
Onyx Coffee Lab 2023 Coffee Advent Calendar (preorder)
Onyx Coffee Lab’s coffee advent calendar allows you to taste roasts from across the world, like Costa Rica, Mexico, Kenya, Bolivia, Colombia and Burundi. There are 24 bags of whole beans packed inside, and can brew 24 ounces of coffee in total. You’ll receive daily videos that tell you more about the coffee so you can learn about where it comes from, how it’s produced and what flavor notes you might taste.
David’s Tea 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar
Not everyone needs a morning cup of joe — some people prefer tea to start their day instead. David’s Tea Advent calendar comes with 24 loose tea blends you can put inside an infuser to brew. You’ll get enough tea each day to make two cups of a hot or iced beverage. Flavors like Calming Chamomile, Orange Spice and Salted Caramel Oolong, as well as seasonal options like Christmas Morning Blend, Hot Chocolate and Sleigh Ride, are included.
Pukka Tea Advent Calendar
Pukka’s Advent calendar is filled with 24 tea bags instead of loose tea so you don’t need to use an infuser to brew each one. You’ll find a different flavor hidden behind each door, like earl grey, mint, chamomile, matcha, english breakfast and more. The tea bags are compostable once you’re done using them, according to the brand.
Best beauty and skin care advent calendars
ChapStick 12 Days Holiday Advent Calendar
ChapStick’s Advent calendar ensures you or your giftee has enough lip balm to prevent chapped skin in the year ahead. The calendar comes with 12 lip balms in flavors like Candy Cane, Sugar Cookie, Holiday Cocoa, Classic Cherry and more.
Olive & June 25 Days of Mani Magic Christmas Calendar
I swear by Olive & June’s products to help keep my nails clean and healthy, and its Advent calendar comes with many of the products I use weekly. The calendar is packed with over 20 products, including mini versions of the brand’s Quick Dry and Long-Lasting nail polishes, in addition to two types of top coat, a nail art pen and nail art stickers. You’ll also get items to help you prep your nails before painting them, like nail strengthener, a buffer, a file and cuticle serum. The calendar comes with a set of press-on nails, too.
Sephora Collection Advent Calendar
Beauty gurus can try new makeup and skin care products leading up to the holidays with Sephora’s Advent calendar. It’s filled with makeup like eyeliner, mascara and a lip pencil, as well as skin care like eye cream, eye masks and sheet masks. You’ll also get a gua sha tool, plus hair and nail care products like hair ties and nail polish.
Uncommon Goods Advent Shower Steamer Set
Turn your shower into a spa experience by adding one of Uncommon Goods’ scented steamers. You get 24 in this Advent calendar, and each one has a different scent like peppermint, eucalyptus and orange and lavender. The steamers are made with gentle exfoliating salts, according to the brand, so you can also use them as body-buffing scrubs after letting them partly dissolve under water
Best unique advent calendars
Lego City Advent Calendar 2023
Give Lego lovers something to build each day leading up to the holiday season with this Advent calendar. Packs of pieces are hidden behind each door, which you use to create different characters, accessories or toys like Mr. and Mrs. Claus, snowmen, reindeer and more. When you fold down the back of the Advent calendar, it becomes a playmat you can also display your festive Legos on.
Papier Advent Calendar
Papier makes some of our favorite stationery sets, and its Advent calendar comes with a handful of products that you or your loved ones can use to write thank you notes, to-do lists and more. There are 24 individually wrapped packages inside the calendar, each of which is filled with mini notebooks, pens, sticky notes, bookmarks and writing pads. You’ll also get desk supplies like washi tape, paper clips, stickers and erasers.
Woobles Most Yarn-derful Time of Year Bundle
Woobles’ kits come with everything you need to crochet mini figurines, and its Advent calendar is designed for DIY-ers. There are crochet tools and yarn hidden behind each door — once you collect all the supplies, you’ll be able to create a penguin and dinosaur plushie. The brand also offers step-by-step videos on its website that you can follow while learning to crochet.
Voluspa 12-Day Candle Advent Calendar
There are 11 mini candles tucked away in the compartments of this Advent calendar, and each day you open one, you’ll be able to infuse your home with scents from Voluspa’s Japonica Collection. You’ll also find a gold-plated wick trimmer inside. Candles give off fragrances like Spiced Pumpkin Latte, Santal Vanilla and White Cypress, and Forbidden Fig. Each one comes in a colored glass vessel and is made with coconut wax and a natural wick. Candles have a burn time of up to 25 hours, according to the brand.
Williams Sonoma 24 Days of Baking Cookies Holiday Advent Calendar
This Advent calendar from William-Sonoma is one of the best gifts for bakers. You get to open an individually wrapped package for 24 days leading up to the holidays, and each contains cookie baking or decorating supplies. You get 16 cookie cutters like a gingerbread man, Christmas tree, snowflake and stars, as well as biscuit cutters. There’s also a sugar shaker, spatulas, piping bags and icing bottles inside, plus gift bags to pack the cookies in if you want to share them.
MacKenzie-Childs Holiday Farmhouse Advent Calendar
Instead of coming pre-filled, the compartments of MacKenzie-Childs’ Farmhouse Advent Calendar are empty so you can add your loved ones’ favorite treats inside. The numbered boxes face outward to begin with, and after you pull one out each day, you turn the box around so the illustration is on the outside. At the end, a farmhouse image is revealed. The Advent calendar is made from wood so you can reuse it year after year or pass it down through generations.
Happy Socks 24 Days of Holiday Socks Gift Set
Beyond being a practical gift, socks ensure your or your loved ones feet are warm and cozy all winter long. Get 24 new pairs with Happy Socks’ Advent calendar. They’re made from a cotton, polyamide and elastane blend, and have a reinforced heel and toe, according to the brand. Some socks have holiday-themed patterns like gingerbread men, snowflakes and candy canes, while others are fit for year-round wear with patterns like dots, stripes and plaid.
FabFitFun 12 Days of FabFitFun Advent Calendar
FabFitFun’s Advent calendar is all about self-care. It comes with skin care, beauty products and body care items from brands like Amika, Milk Makeup, Barefoot Dreams and Laniege. Some of the products you’ll find inside include a Lele Sadoughi headband, Marilyn Schiff studs and a Laura Geller makeup palette. You also get a seasonal FabFitFun membership included with your purchase — if you don’t want to pay the $59.99 quarterly fee, be sure to cancel after you receive the Advent calendar.
Waterdrop Advent Calendar
Drinking more water is something many people aim to work on, and it may be your or a loved one’s 2024 New Year’s resolution. Make hydrating more enjoyable with Waterdrop’s Advent calendar, which comes with a variety of the brand’s dissolvable tablets that add sugar-free flavor to water from plant and fruit extracts. There’s also hydration accessories inside the calendar, like a steel cup, reusable ice cubes, a bottle sleeve, a cleaning brush and more.
Best advent calendars for pets
Himalayan Dog Chew 24 Joyful Days Dog Advent Calendar
Your dog can get in on the Advent calendar fun with this option from Himalayan Dog Chew. It’s packed with 24 different types of treats in a variety of shapes and flavors. There are peanut butter bears, bacon cubes, chicken bites and cheese puffs, as well as multiple different types of cookies.
Frisco Holiday 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar with Toys for Cats
Frisco’s Advent calendar gives your cat 12 new toys to play with before the holidays. There’s festive plushies behind each door, and they all have interactive elements to engage cats like strings, catnip and crinkle paper. Toys come in multiple different sizes so kittens to adults can use them.
Why trust Select?
Zoe Malin is an associate updates editor at Select who has written gift guides like the best gifts for bakers and the best gifts for brothers. To write this article, she researched types of Advent calendars shoppers typically look for around the holiday season and rounded up options from brands that align with Select’s coverage.
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Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
