The advent calendar has come quite a way in the past few years. Once a simple affair of two sheets of carboard with perforated doors revealing a festive scene, advent calendars today come in a multitude of different guises. was
The word ‘advent’ comes from the Latin word for ‘coming’. Advent has been celebrated since the 4th century. Historically, it was a time for converts to Christianity to prepare for baptism and encompassed the four-week period that started on the Sunday closest to November 30, and ran through the following three Sundays. For Christmas advent calendars, it’s been simplified to start on December 1 and runs up until Christmas Eve.
The tradition of the advent calendar dates to mid-19th century Germany, when people made chalk marks on doors, or lit candles to count the days leading up to Christmas.
There are a few people who might lay claim to the title of inventor of the advent calendar, but the strongest contender is a chap called Gerhard Lang. In 1902, Gerhard remembered how his mum had attached 24 biscuits to a square of cardboard for him to eat in the run up to Christmas, and made a range of advent calendars featuring festive images and messages to sell in his bookshop. By the time the second world war had been and gone, printed advent calendars depicting wintry scenes were commonplace.
Cadbury were first to market with chocolate advent calendars some time in the 1950s. Remarkably, they didn’t catch on and it was a further two decades before they went into large scale production. These days, an advent calendar isn’t an advent calendar unless it contains chocolate. Except when it contains something else of course. Cheese advent calendar, coffee advent calendar, gin advent calendar — you name it, there’s an advent calendar for every taste and every budget. At Hardtofind, you’ll find a large selection advent calendars to make the countdown to Christmas even more fun.
Personalised advent calendars
Personalised advent calendars make great gifts for friends, kids and significant others. It’s a lovely way to celebrate the lead-up to Christmas and is sure to raise a smile. Get into the spirit of Christmas with a personalised family advent calendar packed with 24 festive activities to do as a family, such as making Christmas cookies, having a Christmas movie night, and making decorations. You can also personalise a Self-care advent calendar or a Random acts of kindness advent calendar that you can tick off as make someone else’s festive lead-up special in unexpected ways. You can even buy reusable calendars personalised with your recipient’s name, so they can enjoy the gist all over again next year.
Choose from selection of personalised advent calendars that show you care. (When searching for your personalised gifts at Hardtofind, check the ‘Can be personalised’ box in Special features for an instant curation.)
Five reasons to give the gift of an advent calendar
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Opening the door on an advent calendar will make the person who receives it think about you every single day.
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Everyone deserves a little treat every morning before they start their day.
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Choosing a special advent calendar, from a wooden advent calendar to a kindness advent calendar, shows how much you care.
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Everybody loves presents!
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Advent calendars in January? Or any other month for that matter? Why not? We ‘re not talking about stocking up months in advance for the next festive season, this is about enjoying a little daily treat (or treating someone else) all year round. Kids love counting down to a birthday? Perfect! Want to show your mum how much you care? These are advent calendars with candles, spices, teas, and beauty and wellness products — or just lovely ideas — that you can use year-round.
So now you have narrowed down your search for the perfect advent calendar. In these pages, you’ll find a selection of the best advent calendars Australia-wide. You’ll also discover a wide range of other gifts and Christmas gift ideas for friends, colleagues and loved ones such as family gifts, gifts for kids and gifts for pets.
