Lisa
As a kid, I remember our holiday Advent calendar was a big deal. Opening a tiny door each day leading up to Christmas and finding a chocolate treat was an event I looked forward to. Then, for many years, as a grown-up, the Advent calendar didn’t really play a role in my holiday celebrations. But a few years ago, I started noticing them popping up everywhere. Some are so popular that they sell out almost immediately.
Marketers caught on to the idea that adults were interested in Advent calendars and that brands could use them to promote their products in new and creative ways. Brands now see Advent calendars as a way to deliver value, surprise, and discovery. Additionally, opening a door, showing a fun reveal, fits perfectly into Instagram and TikTok moments. And for brands, Advent calendars are big business. Some estimates put the global Advent calendar market at between $1.3 billion and $1.9 billion, with 8 percent growth expected to continue year-over-year.
There was a social media fervor (both positive and negative) over chocolatier Lindt’s huge 5-foot-tall Advent calendar that was rolled out in late September at Costco. It’s pricey at $189.99, but each door features full-sized Lindt chocolates, including truffles, bars, and bears. That’s 97 ounces of chocolate.
However, for food lovers, it’s not just about the chocolate anymore. Although there are plenty that focus on chocolate, there are now here are food-focused Advent calendars for every taste, including those that feature teas, coffee beans, spices, popcorn, nuts, hot sauces, jerky, bacon, cookies, and meat and cheese, wines and spirits, as well as those that include kitchen gadgets and baking tools. There are even ones for our furry friends. The price range is wide. Many start as low as $20, but they can also get as pricey as more than $200.
Pro Tip: Not all Advent calendars are created equal; some offer 24 days of treats, while others only offer 12. Check the price per ounce or item (often listed in the product details) to make sure you’re getting real value. It’s all about the fun and joy of the countdown, but not at twice the cost!
The term advent comes from Latin adventus, meaning “coming.” In Christian traditions, it marks the period of expectancy ahead of Christmas. Many modern advent calendars simplify things to December 1 through December 24 as a “count-down” ritual. These calendars serve not only as time-markers, but as daily micro-moments of joy: open a door, see a treat, feel the anticipation.
Here are a few Advent calendars we like:
Hot Sauce Advent Calendar
$39.99
Baking Tool Advent Calendar
$26.99
Grill Tool Advent Calendar
$42.99
Fun Tip: Use your Advent calendar as a mini-challenge: “Today I open door X; here’s what I got; here’s how I’ll use it in my cooking.”
Advent calendars are no longer just for kids or simple chocolate windows. For home cooks, they are daily mini-experiences, ingredient journeys, tool reveals, snack discoveries, and kitchen-joy moments. Whether you’re gifting one to yourself, your sous-chef spouse, or your foodie friend, make December a little more flavorful with a foodie Advent calendar.
