Choosing an Advent Calendar (A Semi-Review, plus Big News)

Last year in a fit of madness (and with good intentions in mind) I bought multiple different types of Advent Calendars—at different prices—to see what was worth spending the money on and what type of Advent Calendar I’d suggest buying again. Obviously this is entirely from my personal perspective and is based around what I could buy locally in my Department in France—but some of the calendars I bought were also sold worldwide. It was meant to come out last year but—well, Advent season was already in full-swing before I managed to get round to completing it (I was writing a Cookbook—the recipes of which will be coming available for free this December on this blog). So I put it off and decided to write it for this years Advent season. So, with that long ramble of an introduction over—what Advent Calendars were worth it and which ones weren’t?

            The cheapest Advent Calendar was 1,99 Euros—it featured Asterix and Obelix on the front (a French IP comic book/film series, and an IP I grew up with) and had surprisingly the nicest chocolate of all the chocolate based calendars we got. The chocolate was creamy, not-too-sweet and a nice rich morsel for a day. Both of us who tested the Calendars agreed if we were to get a Supermarket Sweet/Chocolate filled Calendar again we would probably get one of the cheaper ones again. They had other IP on their fronts, quite often featured games on the back and other things like cardboard masks for children (or fun loving adults). Overall it would be a great, affordable pick for children and even for money conscious adults. Again, the chocolate didn’t taste cheap at all.

            The few other chocolate/sweet calendars we got were: a Kinder square calendar with different Kinder bars, a Milka chocolate calendar, a large Haribo calendar, an Ikea branded Advent Calendar with multiple sweet treats including spiced biscuits, a pricier 29,99 Euro calendar called ‘Le Comptoir De Mathilde’ from a chain Garden Centre—and in the past we’ve also bought a large Celebrations calendar, a Kinder train calendar for my Dad and a Nestle ‘Les Recettes De L’Atelier’ Calendar which comes into our supermarket every year so far.

            The Kinder bars/biscuits were decent enough. Some were better than others and the taste overall was—well, it was like a Kinder product. It was nice, slightly sweet and a good (if not very exciting) treat to wake up to on a day. The fault of this Calendar we felt came in the packaging. It was shaped like a chimney—i.e. a tall rectangular box with doors on every side—meaning there was lots of empty space in the middle. The problem with this shape, as we discovered, is when you opened a door and removed the treat you could see directly through it to the inside of the box and all the treats on the other side. There was no surprise of what was coming. You could see it. Personally if I were to buy a Kinder calendar again I would buy a different shaped one (of which—believe me, there’s plenty). Even my Dad’s train shaped Calendar was more fun in shape and was near enough the same price. If you or your child loves Kinder I’d recommend Kinder calendars, just not this one. There are Kinder calendars with books included, some with more variety in the doors (biscuits etc.), and some with little toys. I’d go for one of them instead. As a bonus the Kinder calendars seem to quite often have deals on them in the lead up to December—at least around here.

            The Milka chocolate calendar was o…kay. It was honestly one of our least favourites. The chocolate was creamy but far too sweet for us. And the calendar was the least exciting to open with not much variety in what you’re getting. Even the cheap Asterix calendar, though never changing from basic chocolate, at least tasted significantly better for a cheaper price. The Milka calendars were some of the mid-range priced calendars in our supermarket, costing from around 6,99 to 9,99 Euros—However, we won’t be purchasing a Milka calendar again. I think the main people buying these calendars have to be really big Milka fans as there’s definitely better Calendars on the market.

            The Haribo calendar. What to say about the Haribo calendar? At best it’s at least different from the plethora of chocolate calendars, at worst it will give you the biggest sugar rush every day. Whilst testing this we really were debating with ourselves with who this calendar was for. The Haribo sweets were significantly sweeter than any of the Haribo sweets we usually purchase and were extremely hard on your teeth. Only a very sweet-loving adult was going to be able to handle the quantity of sugar (of course, that being said, you do get a lot for your money from this Calendar—because you really can’t eat too many anyway). We came to the conclusion that my 6-year-old niece would probably love it before realising that it probably wouldn’t be recommended to let my niece eat a bag of sugar every day for a month. I don’t know. It was our bottom of the calendars, despite how much we wanted to like it. I think it would be miles better if they added some sourer sweets (think fizzy bottles etc.) or other products to have better variety than all the sugar. I also wonder whether after this month of sugar it would put a kid or adult off eating sugar for the rest of the year—though I doubt that’s the intention. Just like with the calendars above I think it’s worth it if you truly love Haribo and sugar but if I was looking for an alternative from chocolate I would look someplace else.

            We were surprised by the Ikea calendar—and by surprised I mean we were surprised how much we didn’t like it. It was a fairly affordable, mid-priced calendar which promised (and to be fair did deliver) a variety of Christmas themed goodies. Unfortunately most of the products inside didn’t really live up to the promise. The biscuits were the most bearable but we’re beaten up because the packaging/outer box of the calendar was so thin (and were very sweet) and the chocolate inside was just unpleasant. It all tasted slightly ‘dusty’—perhaps stale? This year I purchased some separate Orange Daim bars and Gingerbread Fudge-type-sweet and they were honestly far better than anything in the Advent Calendar. I would rather purchase them and build my own calendar (ironically, since it’s Ikea) than buy the Ikea Calendar again.

            Before I talk about the more expensive Garden Centre-purchased calendar, I want to quickly talk about the other Calendars I’ve purchased in the past. The Nestle Calendar ‘Les Recettes De L’Atelier’ features 4 different filled chocolates and was actually very decent. Each chocolate was creamy, not overly sweet and the fillings were—at least from my memory of them—very good. This is a Calendar that has appeared again every year in the same simple but beautiful white/cream box. It’s a mid-priced calendar (around 9,99 Euros I believe and sometimes on offer) and I think there’s a reason it shows up time and time again, unchanged. Why mess with perfection, right? The Celebrations calendar however hasn’t come back since I bought it back in 2020, which is a shame. Not that the chocolate was anything special (which were just mini Snickers, Bounties and other British chocolates you would get in a Celebrations box) but the actual mechanism of the Calendar was so fun. It featured, instead of doors, a big wheel at the bottom that you would turn and it would release a chocolate at the bottom (like an Arcade game). I got this Calendar on sale after Advent had already started but I would also gladly pay full price (around 10 Euros-12 Euros from what I remember). I wish they would bring that mechanism back to Calendars—for whatever reason I loved it.

            Now onto the most expensive of all the food Advent Calendars. ‘Le Comptoir De Mathilde’ is a brand that appears in most of the Garden Centres I’ve been in around me in France. From a little bit of research it also looks like it’s a brand associated with Brittany, the Department I live in, which makes sense. If you’re ever in Brittany I’d highly suggest to purchase some of their products—they’re very high quality and taste great. It was actually this Advent Calendar that made us fall in love with them.

            The Calendar features many different doors and, unlike a lot of the other calendars above, there’s not many hints as to what might be in it beyond some basic allergy/ingredient information and a couple pictures. Every day was a surprise. Some days you would have gourmet marshmallows covered in a thin layer of dark chocolate, some days (arguably the worst days though not bad by any means) you would get chocolate-covered cereal balls, some days pure chocolate, some days cubes of Nougat (something I’d never had, wasn’t sure I’d like and was happy to be proven wrong. Nougat is now a firm favourite—If you’ve not have it, imagine a firm marshmallow with fruit, nuts etc. mixed through. It’s so hard to explain but it tastes great). The most exciting days by far were when you opened the door to a little jar—we got Gourmet Peanut Butter (way better than the standard you get in the supermarket), Gourmet Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread (the French love their Nutella and there’s a lot of locally made variations of it, this one being especially good)—and, by far my favourite and something I still crave: Coconut and White Chocolate spread. I don’t know why, whether it’s something to do with cost of production or ingredients etc. but I could never find a big jar of this Spread. It only comes in the same small jar in the Garden Centres were it’s sold (and only in a set of different jars too) but I could easily eat a full jar of it. It tastes amazing with a Vanilla-y creamy White Chocolate and the subtlest hint of Coconut. I haven’t had it since last year and I’m still craving it.

            All of this above doesn’t cover the entire breadth of different treats hidden behind the doors. I know for sure there was more (including biscuits, better than the Ikea ones) but the ones above were the standouts apart from one more—and that would be your final gift on 24^th December, a Christmas-themed Hot-Chocolate Stir Stick. You put it in hot milk and stir until you have a delicious, rich and perfectly sweet hot chocolate. This was one item I did know was in here from the picture on the box and the one I was most excited for and it did not disappoint. I went promptly back to the Garden Centre to purchase more separately (I think I even gave some as gifts). ‘Le Comptoir De Mathilde’ was an expensive calendar, yes. But with the surprising, excellent quality treats and the perfect, thick-box and beautiful packaging it is 100 percent worth the price. A true foodies delight. When the worst item, the chocolate covered cereal balls, are only the worst because of how good the other ones are you know it’s a good calendar. However, I would probably still beg the company to change the cereal balls to something else as they still let down the box slightly. A great Calendar and one, if budget ever allowed, I would get again (if not just for the Hot Chocolate Stick and Jars). Also, vis-a-vee the price—the induvial items if purchased would definitely work out as significantly more as ‘Le Comptoir De Mathilde’ being a more premium brand are definitely on the pricier side. The jars alone would be 9,99 Euros for the set, the Hot Chocolate stick around 3 Euros individually.

            Also from the Garden Centre we purchased a Tea calendar from ‘Thes De La Pagode’ for 23,99 Euros. This was again a quality calendar made with thick carboard and although basic with it’s colouring etc. it still felt premium. The information on the different teas and how to make them (e.g. the best temperature and how long to leave the tea-bags in the water) was all on the back and though you knew the teas in the box each day was a surprise as to which one you would get. This is very much a Tea-Lover and/or Foodies Box as it felt like a box full of unique tastes and lessons about something I’d never thought too deeply about before. This is also one of the only Calendars we both said we would get again as it’s an experience we would happily repeat and, despite being on the pricier side, felt worth the money for us.

            Now onto the non-food based Advent Calendars (of which France has a lot. I kept finding more and more but only managed to test a few for budgetary reasons). We bought two Funko Pop Advent Calendars—the first Marvel and the second Disney. The boxes stood independently okay but we definitely preferred the look of one over the other—as one was a bit boring looking with basic block colours (and yes, I don’t remember which it was—I think it was the Marvel one but I’m not 100 percent sure unfortunately). I also got the Disney Calander when it was on sale as there was no way I was affording both at the top price. Overall the Calendars were—extremely hit and miss. The few figures I loved, I really loved (Spiderman and Thanos in Christmas jumpers, Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore etc.) but the ones I hated, I hated (all the glitter on the Glitter-Covered ones got everywhere and were quite often spotty and not as good quality). We also got quite a high amount of repeat figures for such a high-priced Calendar. Not only were some figures exactly the same as each other, but they also put a high amount of figures were they had one normal and then that same one but glitter covered. For the price they cost I don’t see why there’s so many of these repeats, and also so many figures that will not stand up no matter what you do. I don’t know. I enjoyed this Calendar in some senses and it was one of my favourites purely for the mystery element and for my favourite figures (mentioned above) but there were many duds and it really felt like they were lacking quality control. Would I get one of these again? Probably yes. Do I think there’s a lot of problems that need fixing first? Yes.

            The next non-food based Advent Calendars I bought was two Lego Calendars: Star Wars and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The Marvel one I also got on sale and honestly, based on how small the piece count and basic the builds were I don’t think I could ever justify spending the full amount on it. I mainly purchased it (again, a lot cheaper than I would if I’d bought it before December) for the figures wearing Christmas jumpers. The Star Wars one, however, I bought at full price and I felt it was… okay. The builds were mostly micro-scale ships from the franchise (some I genuinely don’t know what they were) and took around ten minutes to do, if not five. The figures included were the main draw as who doesn’t want C3PO and R2D2 in Christmas jumpers? But the actual calendar still didn’t fully feel worth the expensive price it cost. I’m not sure I would ever be likely to purchase a Lego Advent Calendar again and even if I did it probably wouldn’t be at full price. From what I’ve seen from other Lego reviewers and collectors it seems I’m not the only one that feels this way. The box, however, I have to admit (at least for Star Wars, not really for Marvel) was very pretty and allowed you to create a scene with everything you built.

            The last Calendar I bought was something very close to my heart. I bought a Playmobil Advent Calendar (specifically one with a kitchen, Mum, kids and Santa Claus). I’m not sure how worldwide Playmobil is but in France at least it’s a big brand. I grew up coming to France multiple times a year and I would purchase Playmobil many times. I would even purchase some and take them home to my friend, who also collected it. Yes, they had Playmobil in the UK but it was nowhere near the amount or good price of France. I don’t know how it is now but when I was growing up there was no option to get a Playmobil Advent Calendar in the UK and so, if I was lucky and we visited France around the right time, I would go home with one purchased in France (also, when/if they did come to the UK they were ridiculously high in price compared to France). Because of this I have a real love for a Playmobil Advent Calendar. They were always fun the few times I had them growing up. I preferred them to a regular sweet-filled Advent Calendar. And it seems the quality hasn’t changed.

            The kitchen Playmobil set was very well made and designed. It featured the same carboard background you’d have to build (same as when I was growing up) and then multiple Playmobil pieces of furniture, figures, animals etc. to put together along the way and build a scene. It also surprisingly, because of it’s kitchen theme I suppose, came with some cookie cutters to make Christmas themed biscuits yourself. If I could send one to my niece without it being expensive to send from France I would (and also if I had any money). I love a Playmobil calendar and I still think they’re just as good as I remember them—and you’re not going to beat them on quality for price. They were the first Calendar I ever saw without food and now, with multiple others also available, they still rein supreme for me. Especially for kids.

            Obviously there’s multiple other Calendars out there that I didn’t talk about because well… money. In France, around my local area alone, there’s Stationary Calendars for multiple skills and ages, Book/Story filled Advent Calendars, Christmas Decoration Filled Calendars, IP Based Calendars (especially Harry Potter—there’s a lot of that around here), and also available online there’s Coffee Calendars, more IP/Fanbase Calendars etc. You’re spoilt for choice these days… and with choice comes stress (at least for me). My advice would be to choose what you’re willing to spend on a Calendar and find something that you love. If you love Milka, buy Milka. If you love Funko Pop Harry Potter and you can afford it, go for it. If you’re not so bothered about the surprise element and have no loyalty to specific brands, try the cheapest calendar. Who knows, it may just surprise you. The point of an Advent Calendar is to get you excited on the countdown to the Holidays. Nobody gets to choose what will give you the most joy. Even calendars I didn’t personally like, you might love. That’s fine… In fact, it’s more than fine—it’s great. You enjoy yourself. If this year the Calendar didn’t turn out so great, try again next year. It seems there’s just going to be more and more choice each year (as much as I dread that… Ugh, choice).

            Which Calendar will you be opening this year? Are you excited for it?

Signed,

The Literary Onion

P.S. I don’t know if anybody else is like this, but I always forget to open the doors of my Advent Calendar, leading to bulk opening doors on the days I do remember. Luckily (or unluckily I don’t know) I opened a lot of the Calendars last year at once since I wasn’t here and was busy for most of December—making Cookbooks, going away twice, finally seeing family post-Pandemic etc.). I know this may or may not be a helpful post but I promised I would write it after failing to write it last year. I hoped you enjoy it regardless and I hope you’re doing well and are happy. We just got over a big storm in Brittany and my power’s been—fluctuating, let’s say, including the internet. Hopefully I can get this up in a timely manner and the Internet doesn’t have one of it’s moments again.

P.S. P.S. Yes, I’m doing a P.S. on a P.S. because I have a big announcement. From December 1^st onwards I’ll be releasing a Festive-Themed Recipe a day for you to do at home. Basically my blog’s version of an Advent Calendar for all you loyal readers out there. I want to thank you all for reading my work over the past year. I know there’s not many of you but I’m grateful for even one view as I climb through the tumultuous waters of Mental Health problems and try to write more and more. Okay, that’s all I wanted to say. Speak to you again soon. Thanks. Bye.

BONUS ROUND– Pictures of other Advent Calendars I found when hunting last year.

Beauty:

Arts and Crafts (Adults/Skilled People):

Kids Stationary:

Chocolate:

Expensive Chocolate (Bio and Artisan):

Nougat:

Jam:

Christmas Decorations (all from a bargain shop):

Books:

Beer:

Toys/Games/Puzzles:

English Tea (name of brand):

Stickers:

Friends (TV Show):

Candles:

And finally, of course, Harry Potter: