Nothing gets us into the holiday spirit like an advent calendar. To spread the holiday cheer, we called in some of the top advent calendars of the year to find the best options for counting down to Christmas.
Our favorite advent calendars include classics with chocolate and sweets, gourmet options to elevate your holiday season, fun beauty gifts, and luxury self-care products that are sure to impress.
Whether you patiently count down to Christmas or crack them open as soon as they arrive, we’re confident these advent calendars will surprise and delight. Keep in mind that many advent calendars sell out well before December, so we recommend adding them to your cart while they’re still available.
When do advent calendars start?
Traditionally, most advent calendars start on December 1 and last for 24 or 25 days, ending on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. However, some are only 12 days long, so you would start your countdown to Christmas on December 12.
Credit: Godiva
You can’t go wrong with a classic chocolate advent calendar. This Godiva calendar is filled with 24 different gourmet chocolates and truffles, all nicely packaged in a cute snowglobe gift box. Whether you prefer milk, dark, or white chocolate, the calendar includes a variety of classic and unique chocolate flavors to satisfy your sweet tooth while you count down to Christmas.
Credit: Amazon
If you still want to fulfill your sweet tooth this holiday season without downing chocolate every day, this advent calendar is perfect for you. The calendar includes 24 days of Walker’s Shortbread cookies packaged in a cute Christmas gift box. We love the designs on the cookie box, which feature “shortbread elves” hard at work baking cookies in Santa’s workshop. It’s also one of the most affordable advent calendars on our list for those that want to participate in the tradition without spending a fortune.
Credit: Amazon
The Sugarfina Advent Calendar is an ideal option for those with a sweet tooth. The calendar includes 24 drawers, each filled with four pieces of candy to enjoy each day. Whether you prefer chocolate covered cookie dough, sour rainbows, or caramel candies, this candy-filled calendar has something for everyone. Plus, we love that it’s designed to look like Santa’s toy shop when it’s closed, so it makes for a festive piece of holiday decor.
Credit: Murray’s Cheese
Not a fan of sweets? This advent calendar puts a savory spin on the holiday tradition by offering nine different cheeses from the famous Murray’s Cheese. You’ll find favorites like English cheddar, Wensleydale with cranberries, and 12-month gouda, plus items to pair them with like mini jams and crackers.
The back of the advent calendar box also gives you more information on each cheese and its flavor profile. I loved the pairings in this calendar, particularly the spiced cherry and wild blueberry preserves, because they elevated the experience and made each cheese more enjoyable.
Credit: Amazon
This LEGO kit will keep the kiddos in your house on their toes in the lead-up to Christmas. Behind each of the 24 doors is a holiday-themed minifigure or accessory that all come together to create a festive scene. The kit includes 186 LEGO pieces as well as a playmat that kids can use to stage holiday celebrations. Each of the building pieces can also be rearranged and connected to create imaginative new scenes.
Credit: Anthropologie
Beauty lovers will enjoy unboxing this gift set from Anthropologie. With 12 curated beauty finds, the calendar is packed with useful skincare, makeup, and fragrance minis worth more than $130. The Anthropologie 24 Days of Beauty Calendar is already sold out for the year, so we suggest you snag this one while it’s still available.
Credit: Beekman 1802
The Beekman 1802 Advent Calendar is a skincare lover’s dream—it contains more than $460 worth of the brand’s most popular products for under $200. With a mix of full-size products and minis included in this calendar, you can stock up on bestsellers and try a few new products at once.
While the advent calendar with the reusable box has already sold out for the season, you can still purchase all of the products at a discount. It’s a luxurious way to treat yourself in the 24 days leading up to Christmas, especially for anyone who doesn’t want to clutter their home with extra packaging. And if you already have a reusable advent calendar, you can add these products to it.
Credit: Amazon
Make the countdown to Christmas delicious with this advent calendar that includes 24 jars of mini spreads. In this year’s release, you’ll savor new creations, such as caramel with vanilla, strawberry and passion fruit, wild blueberry with maple syrup, and more. Spread them on toast, pancakes, muffins, or whatever baked goods you have planned for the Christmas season.
Each jar is about 1 ounce, giving you a chance to enjoy them without overstuffing your cabinet with full-sized jelly jars. Plus, these flavors are exclusive for the holiday season, so it’s a one-time experience that your tastebuds won’t soon forget.
Credit: Papier
Whether you work an office job, obsess over nice stationery, or just appreciate the art of a handwritten letter, Papier’s advent calendar is perfect for you. The set includes a variety of desk accessories like notebooks, highlighters, paperclips, and sticky notes, all packaged in a cheerful red gift box.
I loved unboxing this advent calendar because it felt truly luxurious and delightful. The box has three drawers that pull or swing out to reveal the paper boxes of goodies for each day, so you can easily see all of the boxes at a glance and get excited for the days to come. And once you’ve opened up your gift for the day, the calendar is compact and easily folds back into a decorative box that you can reuse again and again.
Credit: Glasshouse Fragrances
Whether you like candles, perfume, or skincare, this advent calendar includes something for everyone. This design resembles a jewelry box and includes 24 drawers you’ll be excited to open each day. The box is very luxurious and can easily be reused for holiday seasons to come.
I loved opening each of the drawers and discovering what was inside, whether it was a lotion, hand cream, shower gel, perfume, or candle in one of the brand’s elegant scents. The mini products are the perfect way to treat yourself while sampling new or beloved fragrances, and they may even give you some inspiration for holiday shopping.
Credit: Tillamook
Cheese lovers will get their fix in the days leading up to Christmas with this advent calendar from the beloved dairy brand Tillamook. It includes two separate boxes, one for the fridge and one for the counter, so you can still count down each day without completely filling up on cheese.
I loved that the calendar not only includes six full-size blocks of cheese, but items to help you enjoy them, like a cheese board and cheese knife. There’s even an adorable butter stick ornament included behind one of the doors, adding an extra touch of holiday cheer.
Credit: Benefit Cosmetics
Beauty enthusiasts can revamp their entire makeup collection with this glam advent calendar from Benefit Cosmetics. Packaged in an adorable box that resembles a Rubik’s Cube, the calendar contains 24 days of beauty products in full and mini sizes. The calendar includes fan favorites like Benefit’s Hoola bronzer, Benetint lip and cheek stain, and a variety of beauty must-haves like mascaras, brow products, and more. We also love that the interactive cube spins and twists, making it a fun surprise to find and open each item.
Credit: Voluspa
Candle enthusiasts will be overjoyed to open this advent calendar from Voluspa. This gift set contains an exclusive wick trimmer and 12 petite candles from the luxury brand’s best-selling collections. Each candle is neatly packaged in its own drawer, so you can peek inside if you simply can’t wait to open them. Scents include seasonal favorites like spiced pumpkin latte and noble fir garland, as well as classic fragrances like French cade lavender.
Credit: Harry & David
The Best of Harry & David Advent Calendar will satisfy your snacking urge throughout the holiday season. There are sweet treats like chocolate truffles, peppermint bark, and chocolate-laced popcorn, and savory snacks like smoked sausage, pepper and onion relish, and trail mix.
Credit: Lush
A relaxing bath is my favorite way to unwind during the busy holiday season, and this advent calendar from Lush includes 12 spa products to make your bath time heavenly. The brand is known for its luxurious bath bombs, four of which are included in this set. It also includes lotions, shower gels, bar soap, and bubble bars to elevate your self-care routine. The scents are all holiday-themed, and each of the products has a festive look to get you into the holiday spirit.
Credit: Williams Sonoma
With 24 pieces of peppermint bark, this advent calendar takes the traditional chocolate advent calendar and gives it a fun twist. Each day includes a piece of peppermint bark in one of four festive shapes: a Christmas tree, Santa, snowmen, or toy soldiers. The peppermint bark is made with rich semisweet chocolate, creamy white chocolate, and crushed peppermint candy, making it a crunchy treat to enjoy while you countdown to Christmas.
Credit: Williams Sonoma
If you want to break free from the sugary tradition of advent calendars, the Oliviers & Co Advent Calendar is a gourmet option to indulge in. Inside is a food lover’s delight with gourmet selections made using ingredients from France, Portugal, Morocco, and Italy.
The daily advent calendar is designed as if you were opening a food cupboard. Inside of the doors, you’ll find flavor-infused olive oils and vinegars, chocolate truffles, jam, honey, and herb salts. You are sure to feel inspired to try out new recipes to complement your discoveries.
Credit: Kitsch
For those that love to try new hair products, we love the Kitsch advent calendar. Behind each of the 12 doors is a full-size product from the brand. While the brand hasn’t revealed exactly what’s in the calendar, we can offer a few spoilers. You’ll find items like a cute claw clip, a shampoo and conditioner bar, a scalp and hair oil with an applicator, and a french hair pin.
Credit: In Good Taste
For adults who want to expose their palate to an array of wines this holiday season, you won’t want to miss this advent calendar. Arriving in a Christmas-inspired decorated box, you’ll receive 24 individually packed bottles of wine sourced from France, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and California. Along with your wine, you will receive tasting notes, curated food pairings, and wine-inspired recipes, so you can enjoy savoring your glass of wine while exploring your culinary curiosity.
Credit: Amazon
Tea lovers will love indulging in the flavors and aromas of these 24 black, green, oolong, white, and herbal teas from Vahdam Tea. With combinations like blooming rose black tea and sweet cinnamon masala chai tea, you are bound to find your favorite flavor in this calendar. Within each day of the advent calendar, you’ll discover a petite tin which generously provides enough loose leaf tea to serve up to 10 cups, so you can comfortably share the experience with others.
For those new to the art of brewing loose leaf tea, you’ll need a steeping ball or infuser at home. However, considering the nuanced flavors that come with loose leaf tea, it will be worth the extra effort. But if you prefer tea bags, you can also opt for this smaller advent calendar from the same brand.
Who We Are
This article was written by Molly Blanco, a senior writer who has covered holiday content for BHG since 2023. After researching dozens of options and testing a few herself, she rounded up the best advent calendars to help you count down to Christmas.
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