10 of the Best Advent Calendars

An advent calendar is a traditional way of counting down the days to Christmas and is a lovely way of marking the impending Christmas season.

Advent calendars started off life as being filled with Biblical nativity images and telling the traditional story of Christmas, through opening one numbered window on a pictorial image each day. Whilst many good examples of these are still available for those that prefer them, the life of the advent calendar has expanded to include lots of options with non-religious imagery. Additionally, gone are the days of simply opening a window on a cardboard image, as many advent calendars include a chocolate treat each day.

If you enjoy counting down the days to Christmas, whether on your own or with children, then there are a host of advent calendars available to suit all budgets. To save the expense of buying one every year, some are designed to last year after year and there are some great options that you can customise with your own treats and goodies.

Here are our 10 of our favourite advent calendars.

1. Hanging Felt Tree Advent Calendar

Hang this on a wall or door and fill the numbered pockets on the hanging felt advent calendar with treats of your choice.

£20 from The Orchard.

2. Divine Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar

Behind each door of this nativity themed advent calendar, there’s a delicious Divine milk chocolate fairtrade heart.

It’s £3.95 from Ethical Superstore.

3. Buttonbag Make Your Own Advent Calendar

Make your advent calendar extra special and personal by making it yourself. This Buttonbag kit contains all you need to create a stylish fabric calendar.

The Buttonbag Make Your Own Advent Calendar kit is £14 from John Lewis.

4. Gisela Graham Reindeer Advent Calendar

This red wooden reindeer advent calendar features numbered drawers which can be opened each day throughout December.

The Gisela Graham reindeer advent calendar is £19.99 from The Gifted Penguin on Amazon.

5. John Lewis Advent Calendar House

The windows of this nicely designed advent calendar house can be filled with sweets or chocolate.

The advent calendar house is £40 from John Lewis.

6.Pixie Advent Calendar

This unusual Maileg pixie advent calendar is a special Christmas decoration to use in your home year after year, as well as being a funcational form of advent calendar. The pixie girl’s dress has a series of numbered pockets on it that are big enough to hold a chocolate, sweets or message.

The pixie advent calendars measure 150cm in size and are sold by Chamomile Barn for £66.

7. Hotel Chocolat Chocolate Advent Calendars

For chocolate lovers, Hotel Chocolat have a range of delicious sounding advent calendars available, including the Ultimate Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar (the red one) and the Ultimate Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar (the white one).

Also available is a children’s advent calendar, one for teens and over, and an ultra gorgeous luxury truffles to share advent calendar.

The ultimate chocolate advent calendars are £17 each, with the others priced at £12 and £22 from Hotel Chocolat.

8. Train Advent Calendar

All aboard the Christmas advent calendar train! The carriages of this wooden train are packed with numbered drawers, which can be opened one by one during December.

The train advent calendar is £35 from Not On The High Street.

9. Nativity Scene Pop Up Advent Calendar

If you love a good old fashioned and traditional calendar portraying the real story of Christmas, then this 3D popup nativity advent calendar brings the Christmas story to life.

It’s £8 from Amazon.

10. Advent Village

This wonderful set of wooden advent houses is each individually numbered and can be filled with a gift. You can arrange them how you like – placed together, or dotted around your home.

The advent village set is £59.99 from The Contemporary Home.

By Rachel Newcombe.