If you want to stretch your gift game into days this holiday, check out
these advent calendars
Send a link to a friend
[November 05, 2024]
By KATIE WORKMAN
The advent calendar phenomenon is growing every year, with so many
exciting, fun, beautiful, and delicious options available. In the food
and drink space alone, there is truly something for everyone. Prices
range from impulse buy to extravagant. If you’re looking to wow a
relative or friend (or treat your own family) with 12 to 24 days of pure
fun, then don’t miss out this holiday season. These limited-edition
calendars can sell out fast!
Chocolate
If you know a chocolate loving advent calendar fan, you have so many
excellent choices! The Compartés’ Winter Foxes Chocolate Advent Calendar
is beautiful, a winter wonderland featuring playful foxes and festive
scenery. Behind the little doors you’ll find chocolates in innovative
flavors like cinnamon bun, blackberry crumble, and sticky toffee.
$109.95.
Bean-to-bar chocolate maker Dandelion Chocolate fashioned their
impressive calendar in a homage to the constellations, including a star
wheel to identify what you can see in the night sky. There are 24
ornaments, each containing a chocolate from an artisan chocolate maker
across the U.S. Each ornament is accompanied by a story about the astral
happenings of the day of the month. Chocolate and astronomy, what a cool
pairing. $185.
Delysia Chocolatier’s theme this year is Ultimate Cookie Swap with 25
handcrafted chocolate truffles inspired by seasonal cookies. Flavors
include beloved classics like gingerbread and snickerdoodle, along with
unexpected treats such as hamantaschen and pizzelle. $79.95.
Tony’s Chocoloney Countdown Calendar has the same graphic appeal of
their candy packaging, with cheery bold colors. The 25 “Tony’s Tinys”
include dark chocolate almond sea salt, milk chocolate hazelnut, dark
milk pretzel toffee and more. $19.99.
Candy
See’s 2024 Advent Calendar contains 24 days of premium See’s candies,
from truffles to their famous lollipops and more, nestled within a
charming wintry abode. Sturdy pull-out drawers offer easy candy access
and whimsical pop-up illustrations that unfold like an enchanting
storybook. $75.
With Sugarwish’s advent calendar, you have a couple of options. You can
pick your assortment of treats from a panoply of candy choices (think
M&M’s, Swedish fish, gumballs, and so on). Or, you can send someone a
calendar as a gift online, and let them pick out their own treats.$79.
If you know a licorice lover then you are about to rock their world.
Lakrids by Bülow Danish Gourmet Licorice calendar is a unique collection
of classic varieties mixed with limited edition flavors of chocolate
coated licorice, all crafted in Copenhagen. Inspired flavors include
Frozen Mint, Salt and Caramel, Double Chocolate, and Milkshake. $59.99.
If your kitchen turns into holiday baking central during December, then
the 24 Magical Days of Sprinkles and Decorative Candies from
Sweetapolita is for you. A beautiful pink box contains 24 little
drawers, each filled with a jar of adorable sprinkles. Each calendar
comes tucked in a custom, cotton, drawstring bag, making it extra
giftable. $99.
Dylan’s Candy Bar has two choices ranging from a huge Countdown Candy
Tree with a glittery tree and stand with 24 shiny round ornaments filled
with seasonal candies ($110) to a little tree shaped box with little
perforated doors hiding 24 tiny holiday treats. $10.
Snacks
Cheese virtuoso Murray’s has their 12 Days of Cheese advent calendar,
the perfect gift for the turophile (cheese lover) in your life. It’s
stocked with a bevy of items including nine cheese, oatcakes, and some
mini jams. You do have to keep it refrigerated, but who wouldn’t want a
ready-made graze board in the fridge for the holidays? $78
[to top of second column]
|
This image provided by Katie Workman shows the 12 Days of Gourmet
Nuts calendar from Uncommon Goods. (Katie Workman via AP)
Uncommon Goods has a bunch of
affordable options, such as 12 Days of Gourmet Nuts. Each 2-ounce
reusable little tin has a different flavor or medley of nuts to
indulge in such as Salted Pistachios, Honey Sea Salt Almonds,
Cranberry Nut Blend, and Coconut Curry Peanuts. $55
12 Days of Hot Sauce is for the heat lover in your life (and we all
have one). Twelve little bottles of liquid heat range from mild to
spicy, sweet to savory, and will turn up the heat all month long.
Flavors include Sweet Onion Habanero, Garlic Reaper, Plum Reaper,
Chipotle BBQ, and Smoky Horseradish. $55
If you’re aiming to truly impress, or gifting a calendar to a
family, go big! The Best of Harry & David advent calendar is not one
but two festively themed boxes with snacks ranging from their famous
Royal Riviera Pear, Moose Munch Premium Popcorn varieties,
yogurt-covered peppermint tree shape pretzels, and blackberry
galettes. $199.99
Beverages
For the tea lover, try a collection 24 of Palais de Thes
best-selling teas and herbal infusions for $38, or 12 days of Harney
& Sons teas for $29.95.
Coffee lovers will love Onyx Coffee Lab’s journey through the world
of specialty coffee with a 24 day exploration of beans. A box opens
to an accordion containing 24 packets of single-origin whole coffee
from across the globe — beans ready for grinding and brewing. $175.
Flaviar presents a substantial trunk-inspired box with high end
whiskey samples plus 2 collectible and exclusive Glencairn glasses.
Travel around the whisky world over the course of 24 days with
Starward Nova Single Malt from Australia, and Sekk Sato Shiki from
Japan, and loads of bourbon offerings from the U.S.A. including
Haven Hill, Jaywalk, Rye, and Milam & Greene Triple Cask. Includes
interactive tasting notes. $250.
A company by the name Give Them Beer offers you the chance to give
someone…. well, yes, 12 days of beer. But also, 12 days of jerky, 12
days of bourbon, 12 days of red wine, 12 days of moonshine, and lots
more adult-oriented indulgences. Prices start at $80 and up, and
there are also some 24 day options.
A final international offering: Tokyo Treat Slice of Japan: 24 Days
of Adventure Advent Calendar transports you to the land of the
Rising Sun. Inspired by slice-of-life manga, this advent calendar
includes Japan-exclusive treats like Matcha Latte and Peach KitKats,
as well as collectibles, figurines, and anime keychains. $150.
Oh, and for those celebrating Hanukkah? No need to miss out on the
fun. Harry and David offers an 8 Nights of Hanukkah Gift, an
attractive Star of David shaped box with treats like gelt coins,
macaron brownies, and cinnamon doughnut muffins. $109.99.
So how will you choose to count down to the holidays? These
calendars make really thoughtful gifts (and how many other gifts can
you give someone that are guaranteed to make them think of you every
day from 12 to 24 days?)
___
Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press.
She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking,
“Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at
https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved |