Best advent calendars for children and adults in 2020, from chocolate to toys
Christmas truly begins when you open the first door of your advent calendar - here's the best chocolate, boozy and playful choices for 2020
Like many of the popular Christmas practices we engage in today, the tradition of counting down the days until Christmas is of German origin. Prior to the early 1850s, this was simply done by lighting candles or marking wall. By the early 20th century, advent calendars started to become a gift-giving ceremony in their own right, all of which were contained behind small doors.
While advent calendars filled with chocolate are now considered traditional, there are tonnes of unique options worth considering, too; advent calendars filled with beauty products, high-quality gins, toys, and more.
We have quite a way to go before the Christmas countdown officially begins but, as so many of 2020's best advent calendars have already been released, there is no time like the present to get yours before they go. Here is our pick of the very best:
The best advent calendars of 2020
1. The Grand Advent Calendar
There are chocolate advent calendars and then there are chocolate advent calendars. The latter of which is best represented by The Grand from Hotel Chocolat. The variety of chocolate treats inside is second to none, with double truffles, Cinnamon Bun chocs, festive chocolate Slabs, luxurious hot chocolate packets and more. There are even taster bottles of cocoa-inspired holiday tipples. Milk, dark, caramel and white chocolate advent calendars are also available.
2. Ginvent Advent Calendar
The original gin advent calendar is back this year with 24 more gin tasters tucked away inside a rather beautiful snowscape. Each tipple in the 'Ginvent' calendar has been carefully selected by Gin Foundry experts to show off a wide range of tastes and flavours, too, so you're bound to discover something you haven't tried before. Some have even been blended especially for the calendar.
3. Soap & Glory 24 Days to Roam The Foam Advent Calendar
The Soap & Glory advent calendar is a brilliant buy for guys and girls who love to pamper themselves. Inside, there are sumptuous body butters, a 'scent-sational' dry shampoo, three-in-one vitamin C facial wash, radiance-boosting mask, and plenty more lotions and potions in between.
4. LEGO City Advent Calendar
Little ones will love this LEGO City advent calendar and its many playful mini figures. With a snowy city play mat included, each day of advent will give them a chance to build and add to their own Christmassy adventures. The LEGO Star Wars advent calendar would be a hit for young jedis, too.
Read more: The most extravagant and luxurious advent calendars of 2020
5. Up to Snow Good Children’s Advent Calendar
Treat chocolate-loving children to this adorable kid's advent calendar packed with lovable chocolate characters. All of the 40% milk chocolate characters are sketched and sculpted by Hotel Chocolat's in-house Chocolate Sculptress (read: they never use ready-made moulds). Naughty and nice.
6. Yankee Candle Advent Calendar
As far as I'm aware there's a candle lover in every family, and yours is going to love this tea light-filled advent calendar from Yankee Candle. Each eight-hour burn candle is festively fragranced, too; Christmas Cookie, Candlelit Cabin, Christmas Magic, Evergreen Mist, Snowflake Cookie, Cinnamon Stick, Red Apple Wreath, Christmas Eve, and more. Plus one special votive candle (15 hours of burn time).
7. Peppa Pig Advent Calendar
Peppa Pig fans, look no further. Behind each door of this Peppa Pig advent calendar is a surprise toy, including all of Peppa's friends, Santa, a Christmas tree and, of course, Peppa herself. For ages three and up.
8. Fortnum's Piccadilly Building Advent Calendar
Fortnum's gorgeous wooden advent calendar may not appeal to everyone, as it doesn't come with treats inside, but it is the perfect investment for people on the hunt for Christmas family heirlooms. Decorated with Fortnum's iconic Piccadilly facade, the calendar features 24 spaces with small numbered doors to hide sweets and personalised gifts.
9. Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Advent Calendar
Whether you're a Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff, this Harry Potter advent calendar is bound to bring a bit of magic to your Christmas preparations. It's a fun and beauty-themed one, with a colour-changing lipstick, Golden Snitch bath fizzer, Lightning Bolt blending sponge, Harry Potter eye mask, and more inside.
10. The Snaffling Pig Co. Pork Scratchings Advent Calendar
If you're shopping for someone without a sweet tooth, this pork scratching-filled advent calendar is going to save your bacon. The A3-sized calendar contains all of The Snaffling Pig Co. best-selling flavours, including Low & Slow BBQ, Marvellous Maple and Perfectly Salted.
11. ASOS Face + Body 24 Day Advent Calendar
With a whopping 13 full-sized face and body products out of 24, ASOS' beauty advent calendar is among the very best for 2020. Each item comes in a numbered, recyclable wrapping, and the main compartment designed to be reused as a beauty storage box. Expect seriously-good treats from Clinique, Elemis, Emma Hardie, Living Proof, MAC, Laura Mercier, Sunday Riley BECCA, and more.
Read more: Best artificial Christmas trees - and where to buy them
12. Felt Stocking Advent Calendar
Those who prefer to personalise their advent treats will adore the new felt stocking advent calendar from M&S. There are 25 stockings to fill with gifts of your choice, and each is embroidered with pom-pom detailing. The festive-coloured string would look lovely above a fireplace.
13. Green and Black's Chocolate Advent Calendar
If you want to keep things simple, this sumptuous collection of milk and dark chocolate bars will keep you happy through the holidays. As always, Green and Black's bars are both ethically-sourced, organic and of very high quality.
14. The Whisky Explorer Advent Calendar
Drinks by the Dram's whisky advent calendars are a thing of Christmas legend. This year's includes high-value tasters from favourites old and new, like Lagavulin 16, Singleton of Dufftown 15, Mackmyra Mack, Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask, Ailsa Bay 1.2 Sweet Smoke, and more.
15. Amazon Beauty Advent Calendar
Amazon has gone above and beyond with its Beauty Advent Calendar this year, packing it full of sample- and full-sized products from Elemis, philosophy, NIP+FAB, Real Techniques and more.The full calendar is valued at over £215.
For more Christmas features and gift guides, visit telegraph.co.uk/christmas
