How Advent Calendars Became One of the Holiday Season's Biggest Gift Trends

Not long ago, an Advent calendar usually meant a cardboard box of foil-wrapped chocolates kids opened one door at a time. But today, the countdown has grown far more ambitious, with calendars of wine and skincare now crowding store shelves and social feeds.

Marcia Mogelonsky, who tracks food and drink trends at market research firm Mintel, told NPR that “everything’s an Advent calendar now.” And adults are doing plenty of the counting, with CivicScience reporting that 28% of U.S. adults used an Advent calendar during the 2025 holiday season, up from 22% the year before.

Compartés has also observed the trend firsthand, with shoppers buying chocolate Advent calendars as gifts for others and as treats for themselves. But the enthusiasm for a grown-up countdown invites a closer look at why people want to make it part of their Christmas.

Why the Advent Calendar Format Has Such Staying Power

Everyone loves a good countdown, and psychologists have spent years studying why the waiting feels so good.

Cornell psychology professor Thomas Gilovich and his colleagues reported that people anticipating an experience, such as a concert, felt happier than people awaiting a new possession. An Advent calendar gives people something to look forward to each day throughout the holiday season, with another small surprise waiting behind each door.

Opening those doors also becomes a ritual, as research led by Kathleen Vohs found that people who followed a simple routine before eating chocolate enjoyed it more and spent longer savoring it. Her team traced that enjoyment to feeling more involved in the experience, suggesting that the way someone opens a treat contributes to the pleasure of eating it.

Along with that daily routine come memories of earlier holidays, with CivicScience reporting that half of Advent calendar participants grew up with one as part of their holiday traditions.

Counting down as an adult offers a chance to revisit the excitement of being a child waiting for the holidays. And choosing treats suited to grown-up tastes gives people a way to keep enjoying a childhood tradition, even as what they want behind each door changes.

The Advent Calendar Market Has Expanded Into Nearly Every Category

Now, more than ever, brands are building Advent calendars around the small pleasures people already love, from a favorite morning coffee to a weekend hobby. Santa Clara University retail expert Kirthi Kalyanam told Modern Retail that he views these calendars as "a way for a company to become more culturally relevant in their customer's daily life."

Food and drink brands have built their calendars around that enjoyment, and their calendars now rank just behind decorative ones among Americans who use an Advent calendar, according to CivicScience.

Beyond favorite foods and drinks, beauty brands have carried the same idea into morning and evening skincare routines, winning over younger shoppers in particular, as Ipsos polling showed that 40% of British adults ages 18 to 34 have bought a beauty calendar.

Toy and hobby brands have also found support among dedicated fans, as Ipsos social media tracking showed online forums playing a big role in drawing shoppers to calendars like LEGO's. Even small makers have joined in, with NetChoice highlighting Etsy sellers offering handmade calendars built around candles or junk journaling.

All of that variety has given adults a countdown of their own, and market research firm Dataintelo puts their share of Advent calendar sales at 43% by value. Even so, chocolate remains the clear favorite, with the same Ipsos poll showing that 84% of British calendar buyers choose it.

Helen Wing, UK head of innovation at Ipsos, described chocolate calendars as "traditional and indulgent" and well suited to every age. And Americans love finding a little something sweet behind each door, too, with a Statista survey showing that chocolate and candy were the most common Advent calendar surprises

Why Advent Calendars Have Become Such Popular Gifts

Finding a gift someone will love has always been the hardest and most personal part of holiday shopping.

Carnegie Mellon marketing professor Jeff Galak has studied why so many of those choices miss the mark, explaining that givers want to "wow" the recipient while recipients prefer a gift that "provides value over time." And an Advent calendar gives shoppers a way to satisfy both, pairing one big reveal with weeks of small surprises.

Shoppers also get to build those surprises around the person, choosing a countdown filled with whatever that person already enjoys most. University of Toronto marketing researcher Cindy Chan and UCLA's Cassie Mogilner showed that gifts people get to experience bring them closer to the giver than gifts they simply keep, with the connection growing from emotions felt while enjoying the gift itself.

Spread across the holiday countdown, an Advent calendar gives shoppers a present their loved one keeps opening over several weeks. And brands have matched that enjoyment with packaging built to last, as NetChoice reports luxury calendars designed to double as keepsake jewelry boxes.

Compartés, whose packaging has been showcased at the Smithsonian, describes its own Advent calendars much the same way, as keepsakes that can be tucked away after the holidays and brought back out each season. Some calendars have even become sought-after status symbols, Modern Retail reports.

Calendars also come at nearly every price, with NetChoice noting beauty brands offering starter calendars under $40 alongside $150 to $300 editions filled with full-size products. But even with an option for nearly every budget, picking the right calendar is only half the decision, as the timing of the purchase plays a much bigger role than it does for most holiday gifts.

Why the Trend Is Starting Earlier Every Year

Buying an Advent calendar now begins while many families are still planning their Halloween costumes. And behind the scenes, stores get ready even sooner, with Jen Burke of wholesale marketplace Faire telling Modern Retail that shop owners begin ordering Advent calendars as early as August.

So by September, brands and influencers are already showing off the new calendars online, Burke said. And social media keeps the excitement building, with Ulta Beauty executive Lisa Tamburello telling Forbes that “each year, we see unboxing content start earlier than the last.”

But spotting a calendar online is no promise of finding it later, since Burke noted that many are limited editions that sell out quickly, and shoppers don’t want to miss out.

Beyond calendars, shoppers are getting an early start on holiday gifts too, with the National Retail Federation’s 2025 survey showing that 42% planned to begin browsing and buying before November. Starting early gives Advent calendar buyers time for delivery before the first door is due to open on December 1st.

But the first opening date depends on the celebration, with NPR reporting that brands sell Hanukkah calendars with a treat for each of the holiday’s eight nights. Whichever holiday someone is counting down to, buying early leaves more time to have the calendar ready before the first door needs to be opened.

Conclusion: Turning the Countdown Into the Gift

The beauty of Advent calendars is that they let someone begin celebrating before the holiday arrives. And that early celebration has a personal history, as NPR reports that German publisher Gerhard Lang, credited with inventing the printed Advent calendar, drew inspiration from his mother.

She had sewn 24 cookies into a box lid so he could eat one each day before Christmas. Today, experts see room for her idea to grow beyond the holidays, with Mintel's Marcia Mogelonsky telling NPR that calendars could count down to birthdays or graduations.

So, whatever the occasion, an Advent calendar turns the countdown itself into the gift, and there is nothing more personal than a gift that reminds someone they are loved every day until the big day arrives.

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