It’s easy to see how enamored everyone is with Christmas. There is a certain sense of nostalgia when you smell an evergreen scented candle, watch Mariah Carey rise on music charts, or sip peppermint flavored everything. As you watch snow fall (maybe just on your television) and throw on matching pajamas, do advent calendars make Christmas better or worse?
One of the lesser talked about Christmas classics is advent calendars. In a way, I see it as the grown up elf on the shelf. The potential of what you will wake up to keeps you excited for the next day while keeping you awake thinking of possibilities. Will the elf get into some mischief? Will this day on the calendar contain chocolate?
Typically, advent calendars go from December first up until Christmas Eve. Originally the term advent was used to prepare for Jesus’ birthday as a countdown, mainly for children. While the first advent calendar to be commercialized was in 1908 by Gerhard Lang, there is no denying since then the extravaganza has only increased. In recent years advent calendars have become more and more popular. Whether it is Christian Dior or Tiffany & Co, companies have recently started to create their own calendars. It makes sense as a business deal, and these companies realize with an advent calendar they will occupy your mind every day of the month.
But are they really worth it? Last year, Chanel’s advent calendar caused an uproar, costing $825. For those willing to spend that much, getting stickers, keychains, and miniature beauty items simply was not worth it and caused much of an upset on TikTok. User @eliseharmon filmed the contents of her calendar, saying, “when I get a calendar, it’s about the surprise, the fun, and the games. When you are buying from a brand like Chanel that is coveted and known for quality… it’s questionable”. While having a favorite brand and wanting to celebrate a holiday with gifts from them makes sense, nobody wants to feel ripped off. If anything, advent calendars during the age of social media should be trying to play it safe. As we see everything online, the main way for people to be happy with what comes in an $800 package is for its value to exceed the price.
This year, almost the same situation happened with Dior. As the TikToker opened each day’s gift, she saw it was nothing more than some of the freebies you can get with a purchase from Dior- where you have something in a full-size and the purchase process is much more conscious- rather than covered boxes with a date labeling when to open it and see your fate. One review on their website states “Not what I was expecting for this amount of money. [I] love Dior but I feel it was like the Chanel Advent calendar last year: overpriced for low quality things. It seems that not everyone feels this way, with @steffieinthecity calculating the total of the products, estimating around $611 and saying she believed the price of $650 is worth it.
However, to say that all advent calendars don’t have some use would be a lie. For many, they can be a cheaper way to get more as a gift, or maybe for yourself if you’re sure the content is something you can rely on. Along with this, it’s not always easy to find gifts, with an advent calendar serving as a catch all. One example is the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar, with a 92% five star rating as of December 7th. As one Amazon reviewer put it, it’s a “Great option instead of candy for the kids – an engaging, fun activity each night during the holiday season leading up to Christmas.” Along with this, Costco fanatics seem to enjoy a range of products such as coffee and wine calendars, which give customers enough of a product to decide whether they want to purchase a full size. Whether you love them or hate them, advent calendars are continuing to rise in popularity and seem to exist for many niche interests your loved ones may have. Advent calendars can be fun but it’s important to be aware of what you are getting into as you make your purchase.