12-13_Advents.qxp_Calendars Grid 15/01/2026 11:00 Page 2
CALENDARS: ADVENTS
Forget the chocs!
Pre-Christmas treats Gone are the days when the only type of advent calendars were the cardboard ones with a set of windows opening to reveal festive or religious pictures. So many brands have now caught on to the idea of a pre-Christmas treat with the windows or boxes opening to reveal all sorts from boozy tipples and foodie indulgences to toys, crafty delights and beauty bits. Above: Fortnum & Mason And the growing popularity of these Christmas tops the list. countdowns has seen various lists of the top versions, with Sock Geeks using SEO-optimisation and checking out the brands people actually search for and questions they ask, to come up with the list of the best 20 for the festive season just gone. 1. Fortnum & Mason's Beauty Advent Calendar 2025 – understated luxury in a reusable drawer-style chest. £265 2. Jo Malone London Advent Calendar 2025 – miniature colognes, travel candles and bath & body luxuries £360 3. Bonne Maman Advent Calendar 2025 – mini jars of jams, marmalades and limited-edition spreads £29.99 4. Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2025 – 24 themed micro builds and minifigures £25.99–£29.99 5. Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2025 – magic Below: Lego appears three times. mornings with micro‑builds inspired by Hogwarts £29.99 6. Lego City Advent Calendar 2025 – classic with mini vehicles, festive accessories and city‑themed characters £19.99–£24.99 7. ASOS Face + Body Advent Calendar 2025 – smart mix of skincare, makeup and wellness picks from trending labels £98 8. Boots No7 25 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar 2025 – packed with skincare stars and everyday makeup must‑haves £60 (approx) 9. Revolution Beauty Advent Calendar 2025 – 24 surprises across eyes, lips and face, with skincare extras tucked in £50 10. Hotel Chocolat Advent Calendar For Two 2025 – sharing the countdown with two chocolates behind each door £26–£35 11. Lindt Lindor Advent Calendar 2025 – creamy, melt‑in‑the‑middle truffles £10–£15 12. The Fragrance Shop Advent Calendar 2025 – discovery‑size scents, minis and body treats £120–£150 13. Soap & Glory House of Glory Advent Calendar 2025 – crowd‑pleasing bath & body staples £48 14. Rituals Premium (Diorama) Advent Calendar 2025 – foaming shower gels, body scrubs, candles and fragrance sticks £120–£145 15. Wera Tools Advent Calendar 2025 – precision bits, screwdrivers and clever accessories £55–£70 16. Hot Wheels Advent Calendar 2025 – mini die‑cast thrills of cars, track accessories and surprises £19.99 17. Pokémon Advent Calendar 2025 – figures, accessories and seasonal surprises £29.99–£39.99 18. BrewDog Craft Beer Advent Calendar 2025 – limited releases and fan‑favourite brews £49–£69 19. Master Of Malt Whisky Advent Calendar 2025 – Above: The Wera Tools one 30ml samples from distilleries around the world builds into a useful kit. £99–£199 20. Sock Geeks Advent Calendar 2025 – 24 pairs of personality-matched socks £240
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Chocolate for breakfast may be a child’s delight but getting them off to school in the lead-up to Christmas is difficult enough without sticky smears all over their uniform! David Byk, ceo of Ling Design and The Great British Card Company, Above and below: The laughed: “We’re continuously seeing new 3D style from Ling Design. increases in our advent calendar sales and believe the market has moved away from those with chocolate in them – I don’t think breakfast chocolate is viewed positively these days, even in December!” As a result, the company has expanded its collection of advent calendars for 2026. “Our sales in 2025 were 20% up on strong sales the previous year and our customers are telling us about excellent sell through too,” said David. Both Ling and GBCC are building on their successes of 2025 and have larger ranges – more styles and a broader base of religious, juvenile and fun designs. Plus, there are more options in both landscape and portrait advents in a wide selection of price points. “We know lots of advents are posted so all of ours come with envelopes with lots of attention paid to size so they can go through the mail,” adds David. As part of its expanded 2026 product offering, Ling Design has launched a new 3D die-cut and foil finished advent calendar to position it as a pre-Christmas gift. “Not only do our advents look beautiful when placed on a mantlepiece or hung on the wall, they’re completely plastic-free, including the packaging, meaning you can enjoy the countdown to Christmas day in an environmentally-friendly way,” adds David.
Sticking with it Giving youngsters an interactive festive experience is the thought behind Flame Tree Publishing’s range of advents that include seasonal stickers they can also be used to decorate books, pencil cases – or on wrapped gifts. For 2026, Flame Tree welcomes new designs into the collection, including a Royal Ballet advent calendar which has a sticker with a seasonal dance image from the Royal Ballet illustrator Kate Hester, a classically trained ballet dancer and Above: Stickers add to the Flame Tree fun self-taught artist based in London. And there’s also the Christmas Bookshelf advent calendar, featuring an array of nostalgic story titles and in every window there’s a sticker of a festive item.