Here it is: the last day of November! For those who didn’t see it coming that fast, here are some ideas to buy a last-minute Advent Calendar to surprise the kids or your half with style…

Chocolates Advent Calendars

The first thing that comes to mind when referring to Advent Calendars are chocolates. Kids are used to seeing many of them with attractive branded packaging (but sometimes containing  poor quality chocolates), and we -as parents- struggle to stick to our principles of good food because a Star Wars Advent Calendar seems so much cooler than the others… Luckily, there is a large offer of great chocolates that the whole family may be seduced by.
Let’s begin with Hotel Chocolat, who designed a (very affordable) advent calendar with sculptured chocolates in different shapes: reindeer, snowmen, penguins etc in the different varieties of caramel, milk, dark and white chocolates.
I have also discovered Lily O’Brien’s’ luxury Irish chocolates, and the wonderful Advent House containing a wide range of chocolates that will satisfy the most curious…
For me, the best luxury chocolates advent calendar would have been the Pierre Hermé latest creation. But it is already out of stock..
Another idea of ultimate luxury? Try the Charbonnel & Walker Advent Calendar: behind the drawers, you can expect many original flavors (english violette, caramel vanille, apricot…).

Alternative Advent Calendars

For those in search of new ideas, willing to impress their relatives or more selfishly to enjoy a treat for each day leading up to Christmas, here are some recommandations…

For tea lovers: POSTTEA has designed an “advent calendar of Tea” with individual servings of tea for everyday until Christmas.
For coffee lovers: the Coffee Advent Calendar! Each bag is numbered and filled with approximately 20g of fresh Cafetiere grind artisan roasted coffee, to keep you waiting until Christmas.
For beers lovers: HonestBrew has released an original advent calendar with “24 hand-picked craft beers from the best breweries around the world”. Help yourselves!
Regarding alcohols, I have found many ideas for wine lovers; whisky or gin drinkers…Everything to satisfy everyone’s tastebuds!

When it comes to beauty & fashion, I have spotted this “Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar” from CIATÉ. Another way to break from chocolates in glamour! Clarins and L’Occitane also had a great offer, unfortunately out of stock at the moment… But you can still pamper yourself with this Molton Brown’s advent calendar.

What about kids? Of course, they might fall for the classic Playmobil or Lego Star Wars advent calendars. But there are much more original advent calendars, like this one beautifully crafted for boys: the  “advent train calendar” that comes in the form of a railway station, with each compartment being a part of the mini railway track. Or this fun “Ombre Balloon Advent Calendar” by Luna Studio Designs: each day, you pop your balloon and discover the treat that’s inside! For girls, what about a jewellery advent calendar? This Meri Meri Nutcracker advent calendar may ravish the little ones…

History of the Advent Calendar

Nowadays it has become a great business, but when and how did the advent calendar appear?
It seems that the origin of the Advent Calendar is traced back to the 19th Century in Germany. This website explains how it has then been spread round the globe and ended up in an adoration for Advent calendars filled with chocolates…or other treats as we have seen in this article.

No matter what your advent calendar looks like, hurry up if you wish to indulge in the big festive countdown…You’re never too old to enjoy Christmas treats!