For 2015, LEGO is rolling out 3 themed Advent calendars: Star Wars, City, and Friends. As with previous years’ Star Wars Advent Calendars, an exclusive holiday-themed Star Wars minifig is included. This time it’s C3-P0 dressed as Santa Claus, riding a sleigh pulled by an R2-D2 with reindeer antlers. The City calendar has a mini Santa train and loads of toys, while the Friends calendar includes parts for a small hockey match and a lot of accessories – both pretty par for the course. UPDATE: Didn’t get your hands on this year’s Advent Calendars? Follow along with our virtual LEGO Advent Calendar starting December 1st! and the LEGO Shop) For those who’d rather wait to reveal all the surprises inside the Advent calendars, I’ve placed the full set images after the jump. Tell all your friends!If all you want for Christmas is to learn more about #brands, then boy oh boy are you ever in for a holiday miracle! This season, you can buy your loved ones an Advent calendar from a brand.
Advent, of course, is the theological name for the Christian season beginning four Sundays before Christmas (this year, that means Nov. 30). Christians traditionally spend that season celebrating the first coming of Christ and anticipating his second coming. One traditional way to mark the season: Advent candles — one for each Sunday, often nestled in a wreath. These days, many families use Advent calendars, too. The calendars often offer a small gift — often chocolate — each day of the Advent season. They’re basically perfect for brands: Put some otherwise free samples in a decorated box with some cool doors, and suddenly those samples are a collector’s item! Or at least they’re the perfect early holiday gift, exposing people to various products during the busiest shopping season of the year. But, you say, there are so many brands out there. How do I choose? Which #brand is my brand? Can I sell my Advent calendar on eBay even after I use it? Can you please bring back Mark Berman and get this nonsense off the Post Nation blog?
Anyway, here are some options to help you choose the branded Advent calendar that is correct for you. Lego Advent calendars, I am told, are kind of a big deal. A cursory search corroborates this: The company offers several different themed calendars for sale this year, including a “friends” Advent calendar — which is pink and purple and I assume is targeting small human girls; a “city” Advent calendar; and, brand upon brand, a “Star Wars” Advent calendar. Each day reveals a different toy, like a tiny Lego dog, a tiny Lego man (or woman), or a tiny Lego couch. According to Lego, these calendars cost anywhere from about $30 for the city version to $40 for the “Star Wars” one. Except the “Star Wars” calendar is already sold out on the official Lego site, which means you could end up paying more. If they made an Advent calendar for their women in STEM line, I’d think about it. I went to college near the Yankee Candle company’s Massachusetts headquarters. How do I know this?
The same way I know there’s a Yankee Candle Company outpost in a mall: With proximity comes an overwhelming smell. So the highway in Deerfield, Mass., smells like Mixed Yankee Candle Company, which smells more or less like this optical illusion looks. So if you want that smell in your home, in a more controlled, holiday-related way, buy this Advent calendar. On the company’s British site, enthusiasts can buy a wreath-shaped Advent calendar with several “winter” scented tea candles inside. The American “Christmas Countdown Calendar” is more bland. Scent of a #brand cost: About $25. Verdict: My head still hurts from looking at that optical illusion. For the analog game enthusiast who also loves apps, there is this Advent calendar-game filled with pieces of plastic that look like items from Angry Birds, the phone game. It’s manufactured by Mattel. Description: “Now kids can play their #1 favorite app game in real life.” None of the birds have special powers, or whatever is great about the birds on the phone game.
The plastic version of Angry Birds in a box costs $22 on Amazon. Verdict: I don’t really understand how this is festive, but okay. Starbucks apparently went to a craft store and made you this Pinterest-y Advent calendar. Because it’s impossible to put a mint latte in a tin a month in advance, most of the treats here are chocolate-covered graham crackers. A $5 gift card to Starbucks, so you can buy a latte yourself. Verdict: People already measure the beginning of the holiday season with the sudden appearance of red cups in Starbucks stores, so this #brand’s aesthetic spread into Advent calendars seems inevitable. Next year: Starbucks-brand Christmas trees? Like Lego Advent calendars, cosmetics Advent calendars are also apparently a huge thing, but for a slightly different demographic. And they can get expensive (more on that later). The Beauty Advent Calendar, from the Body Shop, is just $50. You have to buy it in a Body Shop store. Verdict: This Advent calendar gives six cents to War Child, a charity that works on education access in conflict zones.
For the price of two Body Shop Advent calendars, you could buy this Benefit Cosmetics sample Advent calendar. For 24 days of samples. I don’t know what else to say.With just weeks to go until the start of Advent, here's a run-down of the Telegraph's favourite chocolate and non chocolate Advent calendars - from budget to blow-out. We have to admit, we were forced to break into several chocolate calendars well in advance of December 1 to help compile this expert list. It was tough, but someone's got to do it. 22 best stocking filler ideas for Christmas Best non-chocolate Advent calendars Okay, let's be restrained and start with non-chocolate calendars. This one caught our eye because it can be personalised. You can relive the year's best moments with 24 of your favourite photos hidden behind each door. The perfect pre-Christmas countdown - but without the sugar high. Scratch North Pole Advent Calendar Children scratch off a foil square every day in December to reveal a fun Christmas themed character.
The great thing about this calendar by Maps International is instead of it being redundant on December 25, it transforms into a magical poster of Santa's Grotto which can be pinned up year after year. Nativity Scene Advent Calendar If you don't want to encourage chocolate eating, this modern-take on a traditional Christmas nativity scene by Quentin Blake is ideal. At £6.99 it's more expensive than many chocolate calendars, but it's charming nonetheless. It's also available on Amazon Prime. Best alternative Advent calendars Drinks by the Dram Advent Calendars Forget chocolate, why not get an advent calendar with a miniature bottle of alcohol behind each door. The excellent Drinks by the Dram sell all sorts of fun calendars for grown-ups keen to get into the “spirit” of Christmas, quite literally. The packaging is also very stylish. It's pricey, but if you want to splash out we recommend the Drinks by the Dram Gin Advent Calendar which contains a different 3cl sample behind each door – a mixture of market leaders, craft treats and some hard-to-find gems.
They also stock whisky, rum and vodka calendars, and lots more. Note: you might want to drink these after work. Playmobil Christmas Room Advent Calendar If your children can't wait until Christmas Day to get their hands on some toys, why not ease the excitement with this Playmobil calendar. Behind each door is a Playmobil family member or some Christmas accessories. Fortnum Wooden Tea Advent Calendar If you're not keen on a boozy Christmas countdown, why not opt for a calendar celebrating the great British cup of tea and go round the world in 24 days. This beautiful handcrafted wooden Fortnum & Mason Tea Calendar doesn't come cheap, but behind each door lies a selection of rare teas sourced from the hills and valleys of India, Sri Lanka, China, Kenya and Thailand. Lakeland Light Up Advent House An enchanting Light-Up Advent House that contains 24 foil-covered milk chocolate balls to slot in each drawer. Easy to reuse year after year as well and produces a soft glowing cityscape to light up your lounge.
Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar Timed especially to coincide with December's Star Wars movie Rogue One, Lego has ditched chocolates in place of miniature Star Wars figures. The 24 pieces combine to create a masterpiece which can be built on Christmas Day. Likely to be quite popular, so order now. Lego also does a Lego Friends calendar, and Lego City calendar. Best chocolate Advent calendars Simply Chocolate Advent Calendar The best thing about this Advent calendar is that it's made up of days and half days, (eg 1 Dec, 1.5 Dec, 2 Dec, 2.5 Dec), so you can gorge on a load of extra milk, dark and white Danish choccies. It might be even more calories, but who cares, it's Christmas! Divine Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar Every year the Divine calendar has a beautiful new illustration of the nativity, and this year is no different. Behind each door is a Fairtrade milk chocolate heart while the back of the calendar features the the story of a Kuapa Kokoo producer as well as a fun activities to keep children entertained.
A good value ethical choice. Prestat Rocking Horse Advent Calendar If it's good enough for the Queen, it's good enough for us. This luxury chocolate calendar is made by Prestat, chocolatier to Her Majesty. As well as a delicious chocolate bonbon there is also a short story written by WB Keeling - the recently discovered and infamous author - behind each door. Hotel Chocolate Advent for Two calendar Countdown to Christmas with your loved one with this Advent for Two calendar (as long as you can trust him or her not to munch them all when your back is turned). There’s two tiny truffles behind each window, including the delicious Salted Caramel Cream and Gingerbread Praline. If you’re not up for sharing, Hotel Chocolate do a luxury singular calendar in Milk, White and Dark for £12.50 each. Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Calendar £4 (currently £3), sainsburys.co.uk We couldn't complete our chocolate calendar round-up without mentioning chocolate giants Cadbury.
Chocoholics get to gobble down a delicious piece of everyone's favourite food each day until Christmas. Bettys Advent Calendar Refill Bag If you want to stay away from run-of-the-mill multinational confectioners, why not replenish your wooden, or fabric Advent calendar with these delicious milk and white chocolates from Betty's in Harrogate. This venerable Yorkshire bakery has expert chocolate makers having been in business since 1919 after being set up by Swiss baker and confectioner, Frederick Belmont, who honed his craft in Europe before heading to England. Trolls Light Up Chocolate Advent Calendar Small children will adore this Trolls Advent calendar (Trolls is the latest 3D family animation from Dreamworks if you're wondering). As well as a daily milk chocolate, for £6.99 it also lights up. What's not to like. Eat Your Greens Chocolate Sprouts Advent Calendar This quirky calendar would be an excellent way to get your five-a-day in the run up to Christmas Eve, if it weren't for the fact these Brussels sprouts are made of chocolate.