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There’s nothing more magical than the holidays – especially Christmas (in our unbiased opinion, of course). The magical time of year brings love, laughter, and exchanging gifts with everyone we love. Children from ages 2-teenage grow increasingly excited in anticipation of December the 25th, and often are very enthusiastic to participate in all of the Christmas festivities. From making and sending lists to Saint Nicholas, to baking all the yummy holiday cookies and treats, the buildup of the Christmas holiday is almost more fun than the actual day itself! In particular, one very special tradition of the Christmas holiday that we hold near and dear to our hearts is the advent calendar. Counting down the days from December first onward, advent calendars are the ultimate daily reminder throughout the month that Christmas is coming!
Many of us who celebrate Christmas all over the world have the advent calendar in their family’s tradition for the holiday. For some, distant relatives send a calendar to children in the family that arrive just in time for December 1st, and for others there is maybe a traditional advent calendar held in the house that the whole family participates in together daily. Some advent calendars are delicate antiques or family heirlooms, and others even have a piece of chocolate or candy inside each day! Over the years, advent calendars have become more and more creative and elaborate, and we’re blown away with the extravagance some of them have.
This Christmas, send your best friend, coworker or family members one of the unique advent calendars HollywoodLife has found for you. You won’t believe how creative, even fancy (and yummy!) some of these are, and they’re sure to impress anyone on your gift-giving list in a thoughtful way. Check these out below!
1. OPI 25 Days Of Nail Polish Advent Calendar
Give the gift of ultimate glam this holiday season with this stunning collection of nail lacquers from OPI – in the form of an advent calendar! This 25-day countdown to Christmas is like nothing else, in that each day of anticipating December 25 has a different nail polish in store. The calendar consists of 25 windows, each containing a beautiful, high-quality OPI mini nail lacquer behind it. The colors range from neutral tones, to metallics to festive reds and pinks, making the selection diverse and full of options. This calendar is the perfect gift for your manicure-loving bestie, coworker, sister or whoever! They’ll be sure to be nothing but smiles when receiving this unique advent calendar, plus, they will also have acquired a brand new assortment of nail polishes that they can use for a lifetime of occasions. If you’re going to check off the days until Christmas Day, then why not do it with a fun new manicure? $50, amazon.com
2. Wooden Advent Calendar for Kids & Adults
Decorate your home while also celebrating the advent season with this beautiful wooden advent calendar. Made with real pine wood, this gorgeous calendar makes a stunning home decoration and also is the perfect way to begin a new family Christmas tradition. The festive Nordic red and white colors of the calendar have painted silver handles and 24 numbered little drawers, which are designed to be filled with little surprise gifts of your choosing. Fill each day’s drawer with a fun little surprise – chocolate, small toys, whatever – and have your entire family look forward to uncovering 24 days of little presents in December. It’s a sweet way to incorporate a new family tradition into the Christmas season, and can be enjoyed all month long by all members of the family. $84, amazon.com
3. Godiva 2020 Holiday Luxury Chocolate Advent Calendar
Obviously, chocolates and decadent sweets are a major team player during the holidays. So, why not combine the gift of an advent calendar with a luxurious collection of premium chocolate? Your bestie or far-away relative will be delighted to unwrap this delicious, 25-piece Godiva chocolate advent calendar this Christmas season. Each day of December contains a unique piece of chocolate, making the countdown to December 25th a divine and delicious experience. From milk to dark chocolates, including festive Santa and snowman pieces, to even raspberry, mint and more flavors, discover a splendid assortment of holiday chocolates behind each day. This calendar is guaranteed to be a hit (hello, who DOESN’T like chocolate?), and we can promise the recipient will want one of these every Christmas to come! $46, amazon.com
4. Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar
Back again with Legos, but this time we’ve got this intricate Harry Potter 2020 advent calendar. Explore the world of Hogwarts like never before while also checking off each day in December in preparation for Christmas Day. It includes the main characters Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Padma Patil, Parvati Patil and Cho Chang as mini figures, plus buildable models like a mini Beauxbaton’s carriage and more. The calendar focuses on the Christmas scenes from the Harry Potter films such as the Yule Ball (from movie 4), so that kids can play and recreate holiday Hogwarts scenes to really get into the Christmas spirit. Give this calendar to your cousins or family friends who have just started getting into the wizarding world of Harry Potter, and they’ll look forward to the Christmas advent season even more. $30, amazon.com
5. 25 Days Of Hot Sauce Advent Calendar
For a little more of a unique spin on tradition, present your flavor-loving friends with this 25 Days of Hot Sauce advent calendar this Christmas! This set comes with 25 different flavorful hot sauces, each of which is 2 ounces of unique slow-simmered Louisiana style sauce made the old school Creole way. Each drawer of the calendar has a different bottle of hot sauce within, making the 25-day countdown to Christmas extra spicy and exciting. Give the gift of extreme flavor that can be enjoyed on so many different foods – the possibilities involving hot sauce are truly endless. From mild to extra hot, this quality advent calendar is the perfect gift for your foodie friends, or those who just really, really like hot sauce! $80, amazon.com
6. ‘Friends’ TV Series Advent Calendar
OK, it’s pretty tough to come by someone who isn’t a ‘Friends’ fan. In fact, many of us are so addicted to the iconic sitcom and have re-watched the series from start to finish time and time again (some of us are raising our hands proudly). In that case, those ‘Friends’-loving friends will be thrilled to receive this ‘Friends’ advent calendar this holiday season. What better way to take December day by day along with trivia and nostalgia of the brilliant TV show? This 25-day calendar allows you to relive the best ‘Friends’ moments with its epic assortment of themed ornaments and other keepsakes within each day of the calendar. Every day of December will bring another funny surprise from the show beneath each pocket, and it will guarantee an even warmer Christmas season for your ‘Friends’-crazed friend to enjoy! $20, amazon.com
7. Beauty & Makeup Advent Calendar For Girls & Teens
For the little beauty queens on your list (who are old enough to wear makeup) make their Christmas ultra glam with this deluxe Mjartoria beauty advent calendar. The box includes 24 little gifts such as lipstick, makeup pens, blush, jewelry, hair accessories and more. Starting December 1, each day leading up to Christmas Eve is a new beauty surprise for your little sister, cousin or niece to explore. It doubles as both a calendar and essential makeup/jewelry box that your little glam queen can keep for Christmases ahead, and she’ll also be inspired to experiment with fun makeup that’s totally safe, plus accessories to get creative with some new hair styles and more. It’s unique and different from a standard advent calendar, and will definitely make the diva on your list smile! $22, amazon.com
8. English Tea Shop Advent Calendar
What would the holidays be without curling up in front of a fire, wearing a pair of cozy socks and sipping on a piping hot beverage? For all of the tea drinkers out there, this tea “infused” advent calendar from English Tea Shop is the ultimate treat. The calendar contains 25 tea bags within each numbered day window, and come in 13 gourmet, assorted flavors: White Tea Lychee Cocoa, Post Festival Cleanse Me, Chai Immune Boost, Energise Me For Holiday, Unwind Me For The Season, Peppermint Melon, Moroccan Spice, Oolong Lemon Raspberry, Christmas Cake, Coconut Chai, Black Tea With Honey & Melon, White Tea Coconut & Passion Fruit and one 1 Candy Cane Infuser Pyramid tea bag. Whether you’re a black tea with milk and sugar fan, or an herbal kind of person, this vibrant selection of tea bags will be true treat to enjoy during the Christmas countdown. Plus, the elegant blue design and display looks lovely on any kitchen counter. $18, amazon.com
9. Man Crates Jerky Advent Calendar
Tis the season for nearly a month’s worth of savory snacks with the Man Crates Jerky Advent Calendar. From Garlic Beef to Root Beer Habanero, these joyous jerky bites are sure to fill his stomach with holiday cheer. And our custom artwork will ensure it looks just as good as it tastes! $79.99, mancrates.com
10. The E.L.F.TASTIC 12 Day Advent Calendar
Rock e.l.f.’s best-sellers and makeup essentials all holiday season long with the E.L.F.TASTIC 12 Day Advent Calendar – a $55 value for only $45! Prime your face with e.l.f.’s cult classic Poreless Putty Primer or create a bold eye with e.l.f.’s ultra-pigmented Bite-Size and Liquid Glitter Eyeshadows. Use the Eyelash Curler to amp up your lashes and the SRSLY Satin Lipstick to complete your festive look with a fun lip color. The collection includes twelve e.l.f. favorites to seriously elevate your makeup routine! $45, ulta.com
Make counting down the days to Christmas that much more exciting, creative and festive this 2020 holiday season with these awesome advent calendars. Stock up on them to give as unique gifts to all of your friends and family, and even keep one or two for yourself this season. Happy gifting!