Who else buys themselves a traditional Advent Calendar?

Me!! Me!!

I try to buy nativity ones!

I try to buy religious ones for the GDs. Their mum is a vicar. Terribly hard to find.

I buy the dog an advent calendar every year.

I buy one though GSs are teenagers now so I might be on my own with it. I try to find a nativity one but they are getting rarer each year.

I also get the Jacquie Lawson one - I might forward it to our two little ones. They don’t live nearby but are just old enough to enjoy them.

I do, Witzend!

I love them. I was lucky enough to have them when a child.I used to get 3D ones which were terribly exciting! I actually used to cheat and peak behind the doors. There was always slight disappointment if it was a sprig of holly or mistletoe!

I now get a traditional one, usually a German make as they're just wonderful

This is the one I've ordered for this year

I also get the grandchildren a traditional one. I know they will get plenty of chocolate ones from other relatives so I like to be olde worlde ;-)

grandMattie

I try to buy religious ones for the GDs. Their mum is a vicar. Terribly hard to find.

There's quite a large choice on Amazon, grandMattie

I never have bought one for myself ever, always for the children. My dd asked for a chocolate one, ds always a traditional one. I might get a traditional one now I have a dgs.

Me too!
I love the traditional advent calendars & always send one to my children (all grown up). My son & his fiancée had the doggy one (pictured) last year.

I reuse a fabric one every year which has pockets into which I put individual sweets - usually heroes or celebrations. We take it in turns to have a sweet but the last three dates have bigger pockets so we have a sweet each ?

I have bought a Dr Who one fir my Grandson from a charity shop.

I love them. We always had them as children and they were the ones from Germany (my mum is German), so nativity scenes for eg with lots of little angels and glitter. If I can find something similar I’ll buy one but don’t like the totally secular ones. Advent and Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus after all. I’m not actually religious now but I don’t like that the meaning of Christmas has largely been lost.

grandMattie

I try to buy religious ones for the GDs. Their mum is a vicar. Terribly hard to find.

This link might help:-

www.eden.co.uk/advent-calendars/?site_id=214402&matchtype=b&creative=348801835085&network=g&adposition=&keyword=advent%20calendar%20religious&device=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl7qGsOS97AIVJ4BQBh1CZAZ5EAAYASAAEgKfZPD_BwE

This one includes a book:-
www.eden.co.uk/real-advent-calendar-2020/

I do, and 4 cat stockings, which includes one for the old stray Tom. In a row on the hearth though invariably one gets " got at ".

Also I have an Avon musical tree which has 24 little drawers containing various decorations for the little tree. I've had it for years. I have two or three Avon novelties from years ago, they're lovely.

I don't buy them now, but I would still if my adults boys were near.

I had one as a child in the 50s that I absolutely loved. It was a darkish snowy woodland scene with a little sparkle, with animals and little doors and windows in the trees, and tucked into the mossy hillocks. Very beautiful.

It stirred my imagination, I made up stories to myself whilst playing with it. . I kept it for some years. I'd close the windows and reopen the next year. It was something like this, but much nicer.

We usually get one free from the local shops.

I'm nerdy enough to make one.

I bought the padded Christmas fabric outline some years ago, it has hidden pockets fixed with Velcro. Every year I dicky it up with miniature Father Christmas pegs that hold a label with the date, and I tuck in a different sweet for every day.

I have just seen the prices of some Advent calendars.
The cheapest was The White Company, at £150!

Yes. Prices of these calendars have rocketed. I always buy DH one each year after told me that when he was a little boy at primary school the nuns said he couldn't have one and told the Bishop who was giving them out that DH was too naughty to have one. His crime? Shooting out his hands as he hated the feeling of his shirt cuffs under his blazer. He never forgot.

Me! I also buy traditional ones for my grown children. One year, I decided that now they all had their homes etc, it wasn’t necessary for me to keep doing this. Cue howls of outrage and accusations of ruining Christmas! So, the tradition continues.

When my son was young I made one with little pockets that I filled with a different little present each night and told him that the Advent fairy bought the gifts. He loved it.
Now I buy Advent candles.

FannyCornforth

I buy the dog an advent calendar every year.

Why?

Calendargirl
They have dog treats behind every window.
(I'm not completely mad!)

Oh I just love the traditional ones, always bought them for the boys, no chocolate, just pictures.

Can't stand some of the ones you see in shops, Barbie, Minions etc, and from what I can tell, no pictures, just chocolates!

I completely agree Phoenix. Those trashy chocolate ones are horrible. The beautiful old German prints are so much nicer.