This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.
An Advent calendar is a great way to add some joy to your holiday season, and the good news is that Advent calendars aren’t just for kids anymore. Even if you’re no longer anxiously waiting for jolly old St. Nick to arrive with his sack of toys, you can still have fun counting down the days leading up to Christmas. There are plenty of modern Christmas Advent calendars out there catering to more mature tastes. It’s not just kiddie trinkets and toys for tots — there’s more behind those little doors.
We rounded up a list of our favorite Advent calendars filled with treats to surprise you or your loved ones with each day, from cult favorite beauty products to a fiery hot sauce assortment. There’s also a whiskey calendar, a Funko Pop set and even a Dolly Parton countdown calendar to peruse. So whether you’re shopping for a gift or just looking to treat yourself this holiday season, check out this year’s best Advent calendars.
Start your day off right with a different tea each morning. Palais des Thés’ tea Advent calendar includes 24 different gourmet tea bags filled with all sorts of delectable varieties, including black teas, green teas, herbal teas and Rooibos. It’s a fantastic gift for the tea lover in your life to help take some of the stress out of the holidays.
Sugarfina’s popular candy calendar is sure to appeal to anyone with a sweet tooth. Each day is filled with a variety of four sweet treats, including favorites like Island Pineapples, Ice Cream Cones, Sprinkle Cookies and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels.
Make all your holiday parties sparkle with beauty products that are sure to keep you feeling ultra-glamorous. With $142 worth of beauty favorites, including Hoola Bronzer, Gimme Brow and Roller Lash Curling Mascara, you’ll be getting a pretty good bargain too.
Bonne Maman’s jam Advent calendar is always popular, and it’s no surprise. Who doesn’t love jam? The 2022 version features exclusive new holiday flavors, including Chestnut and Orange with Spices, Pear with Cocoa Nibs, Strawberry with Star Anise and Apple with Caramel and Cinnamon. There are 24 petite pots (including one with honey), making for a sweet Christmas countdown.
Count down to Christmas with Flaviar’s sought-after whiskey Advent calendar. 2022’s ocean/seafarer-themed set includes a leather coaster, a collectible Glencairn glass, a tasting log, and most importantly, 24 vials of premium whisky. This is the ultimate present for a whiskey-lover.
If watching Harry Potter is an annual holiday tradition in your household, this is the Advent calendar for you. It’s packed with all sorts of sweets that will make you feel like you’re riding on the Hogwarts Express, from Butterscotch Drops that taste just like Butterbeer to Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. Each day offers a new tasty delight for muggle kids and adults alike.
Why should humans have all the fun during the holidays? Treat your pooch to a fancy bone-shaped cookie each day. It’s a sweet way to include your furry friend in the holiday excitement, or you can gift it to the dog lover in your life.
A $125 value, the Christmas Calendar from Olive & June features 25 (not the usual 24) hidden beauty products, including nine mini polishes in festive colors. This is also a beauty Advent calendar as it contains a mini mani surprise to enhance your nail beauty. The nail makeup limited edition set includes nail stickers and all the manicure accouterments you could dream of. In addition to the Christmas calendar, Olive & June also sells a Hanukkah calendar, 8 Nights of Mani Magic.
Country music fans will adore gazing into music legend Dolly Parton’s beautiful face as they pop open a daily December sweet. This Advent calendar will kindle your holiday spirit and be a perfect gift for this festive season. The Christmas Advent countdown calendar is in the shape of a Christmas tree, and from the first of December until Christmas eve you’ll discover a different treat hidden inside. The Holly Dolly Advent calendar includes 24 pieces of individually wrapped candies, from gummy butterflies to twist-wrapped caramels. Few ingredients include sugar, milk, cocoa butter and dark chocolate. The colorful treats are some of Dolly’s favorites, according to Williams Sonoma.
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Funko Pop
Anyone who’s a fan of that galaxy far, far away will appreciate this Star Wars Advent calendar from Funko Pop. The collectible brand has created 24 vinyl figurines of all your favorite galactic heroes and villains — but with a holiday twist. It’s tons of fun to find out which character you’ll get each day, and you can use the holiday-themed mini figures to decorate around your home.
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World Market
World Market is known for its holiday treats, and we especially like this festive hot sauce Advent calendar. There are 12 2-ounce bottles to challenge and delight anyone who likes a little kick in the mouth. Spicy gourmet flavors include Wasabi, Habanero Green, Chipotle, Carolina Reaper and Cajun. This Advent calendar is bound to be a foodie favorite.
In Good Taste’s popular wine Advent calendars sell out quickly each year, and they’re back for the 2022 holiday season. The calendar comes with 24 mini bottles, each holding 187 milliliters of premium wines from around the globe. It makes a festive host or White Elephant party gift, but we think it’s also great to savor solo.
Make the Advent season bright — literally — with Voluspa’s coveted candles. Tucked behind the 12 doors of their 2022 Advent calendar are some of the brand’s top fragrances, including Sparkling Cuvée, French Cade & Lavender, Forbidden Fig, Coconut Vanilla and Baltic Amber. Seasonal scents Spiced Pumpkin Latte and White Cypress add a special touch to the holiday season. (We won’t spoil the surprise of the other eight fragrances!) Each 2.5-ounce candle lasts for approximately 25 hours, so you’ll have plenty of time to soak up those scents.
Hero Collector’s new Beatles Advent Calendar will delight any fan of the Fab Four. Tucked inside the brightly colored packaging are 24 little gifts, including an ornament, coasters, a tea infuser (shaped like a Yellow Submarine, naturally) and more great merch.
This sweet Advent calendar features 12 days of delightful snacks. (Maybe you can indulge every other day in December.) Pop open the doors and discover six popcorn flavors, including classics like caramel as well as unique varieties like ranch. The remaining compartments contain other sweet treats, including chocolate-covered pretzels, hazelnut wafer cookies and even Mallow Moon Mallow Cakes. This is the perfect Advent calendar for your kid who loves sweet surprises and for someone who’s hard to shop, because who doesn’t love snacks?