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Advent Calendars

Advent calendars sorted by what is behind the doors

Guide index

Advent 2026 begins Sunday, November 29

Advent calendars, sorted by what is behind the doors

Beauty, LEGO, tea, pet and reusable calendars, explained by what is inside and who each one suits. Most calendars run from December 1 to 24, and the popular ones sell out well before the first door.

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See the best calendarsHow to choose
Topics
06
Guides
55
First door
Dec 1
A white wooden advent calendar with numbered drawers under a row of lit cut-out houses and trees
A hand holding a wooden countdown block showing 24 in front of a lit Christmas tree

Open a door

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A small wrapped gift with twine and a glass ornament on pine branchesGift guides
Small amber skincare dropper bottles and a jar on linenBeauty and self-care
Small numbered gift boxes shaped like a red train and housesToys, LEGO and games
An open box of numbered square chocolatesFood and drink
Small hanging fabric pouches with sewn-on numbersReusable and DIY
An evergreen advent wreath with four white candles, one litAdvent guides

Four checks before you buy any calendar

  1. Count the doors. Most have 24 and end on Christmas Eve; some add a 25th or run 12 days. When to start
  2. Read the age label. A 3+ grade usually means small parts inside. Calendars for kids
  3. Check the food label. Allergens and a best-by date that runs past December. Food and drink calendars
  4. Buy sealed. Match the year and edition to the listing, with photos of the actual box. How to choose
A wooden house-shaped advent calendar with a small wrapped gift in each compartment
Photo: Andrea Schaufler / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5

Fill your own

A calendar you refill every year

A wooden or fabric calendar costs more once, then becomes part of the decorations. You choose every door, which also takes care of allergies and age labels.

Reusable calendarsFiller ideasPet calendars

LEGO advent calendars

Shop LEGO advent calendars

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Calendars by who opens them

Gift guides →
A snowman mug of white hot chocolate topped with star-shaped marshmallowsFor adultsBeauty, jam, puzzle, craft and jewelry calendars, sorted by interest.
A small painted wooden train ornament on a Christmas treeFor kidsLEGO, toy and craft calendars by age, with the small-parts rule for under-3s.
A small tan dog sitting by a Christmas stocking and a white treeFor dogs and catsTreat and toy calendars, and the ingredients to avoid.Photo: Jernej Furman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Three small nail polish bottles in rust red, silver and goldFor beauty loversWhat is inside the 2026 Sephora, Ulta and Anthropologie calendars.
The town hall in Gengenbach, Germany, lit at dusk with its windows turned into a giant outdoor advent calendar

The dates

December 1 or Advent Sunday?

Most calendars open their first door on December 1. Advent itself begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which is November 29 in 2026, and some families start then instead.

When to startThe historyWreaths and candles

Beauty advent calendars

Shop beauty advent calendars

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Newest guides

Every guide →

Before you buy a calendar

Affiliate disclosure

Advent Calendars is reader-supported. Some links on this page are affiliate links: when you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase through our links. Commissions never decide what we recommend or how we rank it. Listings and prices come from our partners and change often, so check the price, condition and seller on the retailer's page before you buy. Read how we make money.