The run-up to the holidays is always a festive affair. It’s a time packed with parties, friends, family and finding the perfect gifts for all your favorite people. But no matter what holiday you celebrate, be it Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa, an advent calendar is always a fan favorite. And though the ceremony of the Advent calendar is in no way new, the sheer glut of choices we have these days is turbocharged to what was available when I was a kid.
A daily ritual that lets you ease into the festive action, Advent calendars give you the small pleasure of a little surprise, but without all the unwrapping. But with so many options, which one do you buy? From wine, cocktails and jewelry to trinkets, pets and art, here’s a smattering of our favorites to cover everyone on your list.
Whether or not you are a fan of the chocolate-covered sardines hidden behind one of the doors, this gorgeous Advent calendar from Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co is a gift that keeps on giving. The beautifully illustrated box includes 12 different surprises that go beyond just tinned fish. Though the dark chocolate sardines are a hoot, I haven’t been brave enough to taste them just yet. But delicacies such as the smoked salmon in olive oil and tuna with Spanish lemon have been perfect in salads or even on crackers. I also loved finding non-edible surprises, such as the little fish-shaped penknife; a colorful, hand-drawn tin filled with three mini Bag Balm skin moisturizers; and the collectible keychain made in collaboration with Love + Victory, a woman-owned creative studio which happens to be around the corner from my Brooklyn abode.
My kids are obsessed with all things Japan, so this funky box full of Japanese goodies from Sugoi Mart was a hit in my house. Unfold this colorful, fully loaded box to find everything from snacks and toys to collectibles, and more. The boys got a kick out of pulling out the different-sized drawers to ponder over things including a honey-flavored bath ball, a fuzzy Pokémon change purse and a tiny figure of a hamster made up as an onigiri rice ball. Thank goodness for the QR code on the back of the box, or we would have had no idea what some of these wacky products were – but we sure had fun unboxing it all.
Dedcool is always at the top of our editor’s picks for its singular scents so if youhave been curious about their offerings, snap up this 12-day Advent calendar early, as it will likely sell out. Behind each door lies a robust selection of the brand’s incense, perfumes, laundry detergents, lotions and more, so you (or your lucky giftee) can fully sample their wares. We love the brand’s simple, musky Milk scent and in its place, we found a sample of an amber and bergamot-heavy Xtra Milk spray. But it was the Mochi Milk solid fragrance which captivated me, encased in a gleaming, silver structural case with a dongle that can attach to your favorite bag.
I have been walking the hallowed halls of the Metropolitan Museum for more than 50 years – and this Advent calendar is a good way to bring that experience to any art lover in your life. This beautiful Advent calendar is also its own puzzle. Each door is filled with a jigsaw piece, which, once finished, will fit together to create 24 mini representations of the museum’s different artworks and objects.
Your beloved pet deserves a gift for being perfect and if you have a cat, they will surely appreciate this adorable advent calendar from Chewy. Each punch-out square holds a little interactive toy, such as a crinkly aluminum foil ball or a stuffed candy cane with a feather tail, to encourage play. I will be keeping this for my own cat, though I know my husband will find a way to complain about the array of small knickknacks that will inevitably litter our floor this December.
Pura Vida’s Advent calendar is a serious bargain, with more than $300 worth of bracelets, anklets, necklaces and more. In fact, I liked it so much that I currently have a wrist full of the company’s colorful, signature bracelets that will look fabulous dressed up for the holidays. From the adjustable gold ring shaped like a knot to the bejeweled anklet, this is a thoughtful gift for anyone who appreciates a pretty bauble – or even the hard-to-please teen in your life.
This 12-day Advent calendar brings a collection of stunning baubles from both independent designers and its own brand, For You, With Love. The packaging, which is crafted to look like a jewelry box, is a collectible all on its own, but open each of the doors and you’ll find an assortment of shiny rings, earrings, necklaces, charms and bracelets. My favorites were the darling, pavé-studded huggie earrings and the thick gold-banded ring. Best of all, each one of them is unique and valued at more than $700 in all.
This set of eight favorites and best-sellers from Perricone MD will keep skincare lovers happy and glowing over the holidays and beyond. The brand, which touts the science behind the products, is offering a limited edition box of more than $230 worth of its most beloved creams, cleansers, serums and cosmetics for just over $100. As a woman of a certain age, I especially like the Deep Crease Serum, which is rich in plant stem cells and which I have been ritually smoothing on my forehead every night for softer lines and wrinkles.
This advent calendar from cheese purveyor Tillamook comes with a hefty load of 12 full-sized cheeses, allowing you to nibble your way through this gorgeous flight of cheese on the run-up to the holidays. Each packet weighs between 7oz and 8oz and it includes a reserve cheddar aged 14 years as well as truffle white cheddar and cheese smoked with black pepper. A perfect way to share with friends and family, though if you’re a real cheese lover, you can save them all for yourself – we won’t tell.
Cooper’s Hawk knows wine. With more than 70 wine-forward, fine-dining restaurants in 16 states, each equipped with its own Napa-style tasting room and store, it also boasts over 850,000 Wine Club members. Their 12 Nights calendar offers a dozen half bottles of super-premium pours, such as the Barrel Reserve, a bold red wine blend, which is only bottled once a year, and a bright Orange Muscat with a slight citrus bouquet. Each box comes with a helpful booklet of tasting notes, and you will also get a 3-month, 1-bottle Wine Club Membership included in the calendar–which is a welcome bonus. Perfect for holiday wine dabblers or to send as a pre-merry gift.
Instead of an array of meat, which one might expect from Omaha steaks, the brand has turned its attention to something that pairs nicely with a NY strip: wine. Their 2026 Advent calendar packs 24 half bottles of wine in a festive box, in partnership with Laithwaites, and includes a nice mix of varietals from around the world. Along with the keepsake design of the packaging, you’ll also get an accordion tasting guide with serving tips for each bottle.
Here’s a fun gift that’ll be welcome at any holiday party. Oregon-based cocktail company Straightaway’s premium, canned cocktail Advent calendar packs 12 squat cans of holiday spirits in one tidy package. There’s a drink in here for any and every appetite, from a Marionberry Whiskey Sour to a citrus-forward Thai Gimlet to a sweet and sour Passionfruit Martini. And the box itself is pretty enough to give unwrapped – it opens like a book, and comes intact with a Table of Cocktails which offers a drawing of how to serve each drink as well as a list of ingredients in each can. A perfect gift for yourself or the bon vivant in your life, the company says all the elaborate art is inspired by Gilded Age cocktail guru Charles H Baker.
Got a whiskey lover on your holiday list, or feel like sipping your way through 24 different spirits all on your own? The Advent calendar from Flaviar, the cocktail club and online spirits purveyor, is a fan favorite. Each day, you’ll open a door marked by a different whiskey-themed play on a famous painting, (I had a giggle noticing the husband from American Gothic on door 11, behind which lies Knobel Tennessee rye, holding a glass of whiskey instead of a pitchfork). And each compartment is a new adventure through the international world of whiskeys, with highlights such as Glen Scotia single malt Scotch, Amrut Aadya Indian single malt and France’s Bellevoye triple malt whisky with grand cru finish. Plus, it also comes with a helpful tasting guide with space to record notes on your favorites as well as two Glencairn whiskey glasses and access to member pricing if you want to nab a full-sized bottle.
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Other pieces you might enjoy from the Filter, the Guardian’s guide to buying fewer, better things:
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The best beauty Advent calendars of 2026 in the US are already here and selling out
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This beauty advent calendar promises $950 worth of products for $150. Does it deliver?
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This indulgent, self-heating ceramic mug has ruined all other mugs for me
