# Any Advent Calendars that are actually worth it?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 30, 2022, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513 "2022-09-30T16:24:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/1 "2022-09-30T16:24:32Z")
For whatever reason, I like the extremely modest thrill of getting a little surprise on each day in December. There are really really cheap Advent Calendars that have basically the same piece of garbage chocolate behind each door (sometimes in different shapes, sometimes not…) Last year I splurged and got myself a rather expensive Godiva Advent Calendar and didn’t find it to be worth the $$.
Any Advent Calendars you or your family has enjoyed in the past? It certainly doesn’t have to be chocolate-centric but chocolate always helps 😉
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/2 "2022-09-30T16:31:19Z")
The last couple of years, I’ve gotten an advent calendar from Aldi that had pretty good chocolates. They’ve also offered cheese and wine advent calendars.
> **[ALDI Has Announced the Release Date Of Its Advent Calendars](https://www.eatthis.com/aldi-2022-advent-calendar-release-date/)**
>
> In a recent Instagram post, ALDI revealed that it will soon be rolling out some of its most popular holiday items.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/3 "2022-09-30T16:34:38Z")
Not chocolate (or even edible), but LEGO makes several Advent calendars, including a Star Wars one.
> **[LEGO® Advent Calendars | Official LEGO® Shop US](https://www.lego.com/en-us/holiday-gifts/advent-calendars)**
>
> It’s the countdown to Christmas! Get ready for the holidays with these LEGO® Advent Calendars for kids and adults with 24 buildable mini LEGO sets
> **[LEGO® Star Wars™ Advent Calendar 75340 | Star Wars™ | Buy online at the...](https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/lego-star-wars-advent-calendar-75340)**
>
> Festive LEGO® Star Wars™ fun for the holiday season!
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/4 "2022-09-30T16:35:14Z")
Bought one at IKEA just the other day. I don’t remember exactly the price, it was like $10.
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### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/5 "2022-09-30T16:59:11Z")
Their German beer one wasn’t half bad several years back. Of course, you have to be prepared to down a pint can of beer every night leading up to Christmas.
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/6 "2022-09-30T16:59:44Z")
I saw a beer advent calendar the other day. Didn’t pay attention to the price, but it was probably not worth it. Coulda been fun, though.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/7 "2022-09-30T17:00:41Z")
> [@DCnDC](#):
>
> Bought one at IKEA just the other day. I don’t remember exactly the price, it was like $10. -
Isn’t the surprise ruined since you have to put it together?
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/8 "2022-09-30T17:04:40Z")
Dumb question: is this a newish thing - that is, having little prizes for each day of the calendar? I’ve never seen an advent calendar that had stuff behind the doors. In my admittedly limited experience, advent calendars show a nativity scene, usually with some glitter for good measure, and have somewhat hard-to-find numbered doors that you open to read a bible verse inside, possibly with another tiny picture.
Clearly, I’ve been missing out. I’ve been settling for bible verses all these years when I could have had swag!
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/9 "2022-09-30T17:19:22Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> Dumb question: is this a newish thing - that is, having little prizes for each day of the calendar? I’ve never seen an advent calendar that had stuff behind the doors.
I don’t know precisely how “new” they are, but my wife used to teach at a parochial elementary school, and she had an Advent calendar, which she’d bought from some Christian store, at least 20 years ago – the calendar, which was re-usable, had a “piece” of a Nativity scene behind each door. She and her class would open up the appropriate door each morning (I suppose that, on Mondays, they’d also catch up on the weekend’s doors), and place the item in the growing Nativity scene.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/10 "2022-09-30T17:22:21Z")
These sell out each year.
> **[Whiskey Advent Calendar Flaviar » Order Now](https://flaviar.com/advent-calendars/?ir_adid=187541&ir_affid=10078&ir_campaignid=3334&ir_cid=3334)**
>
> Countdown to Christmas with Flaviar ‘The Depths of Whiskey’ Advent Calendar ➜ 24
> Whiskey samples ✓ Tasting notes for each dram ✓ Order now!
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### Author:  [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/11 "2022-09-30T17:24:04Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> In my admittedly limited experience, advent calendars show a nativity scene, usually with some glitter for good measure, and have somewhat hard-to-find numbered doors that you open to read a bible verse inside, possibly with another tiny picture.
Me too (apart from the bible verse bit). So i think the chocolate/prize inclusion
may have started in the last 50 years !
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### Author:  [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/12 "2022-09-30T17:26:31Z")
Friend of mine was a fan of chocolate advent calendars by 1974.
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/13 "2022-09-30T17:32:28Z")
And are these extra parts prizes or just extra parts?! 😉
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### Author:  [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/14 "2022-09-30T19:52:32Z")
Not knowing is half the fun
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZCu4WyHfmY)
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/15 "2022-09-30T20:10:32Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#):
>
> Dumb question: is this a newish thing - that is, having little prizes for each day of the calendar?
Chocolate advent calendars were definitely a thing by the '80s, when I was a little kid.
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### Author:  [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/16 "2022-09-30T20:26:48Z")
A friend just gave me a Wine Advent Calendar, so there’s that.
Only trouble is… I don’t drink wine. So some lucky friend of mine is going to be the beneficiary of a re-gifting this year. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/17 "2022-09-30T20:42:33Z")
For the niche audience of fountain pen enthusiasts, there is an ink bottle advent calendar, with little bottles of 12 mls of ink, brand new and never before seen, and each year has a theme. I believe this started in 2019, or at least that’s when I first heard of it, and they didn’t have one in 2020 because Covid, so this year will be the third one. It’s created by one of the large ink companies (Diamine) and sold through online pen shops. This year is the green edition (previous ones were red and blue), so 25 little bottles of new green-related fountain pen inks. It will probably sell out like last year’s did. Oh, the bottle for the 25th is a bigger size.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/18 "2022-09-30T20:48:25Z")
And while we’re at it, is it an Advent calendar, or just a most-of-December calendar?
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### Author:  [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/19 "2022-09-30T21:05:01Z")
> [@Miller](#):
>
> Chocolate advent calendars were definitely a thing by the '80s, when I was a little kid.
And at least personally, I’d never been aware that non-chocolate advent calendars were a thing. It seems like they must have been around for decades prior to become that pervasive.
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### Author:  [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2022, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advent-calendars-that-are-actually-worth-it/972513/20 "2022-09-30T21:34:50Z")
How does a wine, beer, or other “hefty” advent calendar work? I could see making a box of chocolates into an advent calendar, but … wine? Is there a coupon in each compartment or something?
@Dr.Strangelove - [the image on the right](https://www.google.com/search?q=+%22traditional+advent+calendar%22&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiao8uiu736AhU3nGoFHanEDBUQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=+%22traditional+advent+calendar%22&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzIGCAAQHhAHMgQIABAeMgQIABAYOggIABAeEAcQBToICAAQHhAIEAdQAFjFDGDBHWgAcAB4AIAB6wGIAfMNkgEGMC4xMS4xmAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img&ei=-183Y9q5HLe4qtsPqYmzqAE&safe=images&hl=en#imgrc=R5ALen-DEYIj6M) is fairly typical of what I think of when I think “advent calendar.”
Clearly I am far, far behind the times, as when I did a GIS on “advent calendar” all these new-fangled materialistic prize-oriented calendars came up. I had to add the word “traditional” to get an image closer to what I remember, and even then I didn’t really see a lot of what I consider standard.
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