Banner image courtesy of Elena Mozhvilo
One of the most reliable ways to get excited about the approach of Christmas is with the help of an advent calendar. By opening a door every day during December, you can count down to the big event itself – and crank up the anticipation in the process.
You might think of this as a tradition reserved for children. But according to recent polling by YouGov, a growing number of adults are buying calendars for themselves. So, what could explain this? Why has this tradition, once associated with childhood, become so popular among adults?
The Advent Calendar Economy
Chocolate-based calendars are the most popular variety, according to the research, followed by beauty products, pictures, toys, and alcohol. This is reflected in web traffic, too: interest in beauty-related calendars jumped significantly in the latter half of 2023.
You can now find hyper-premium calendars, which act a little like sample packs for desirable luxury products. A dram of luxury whisky every day, for example, might amount to an appealing gift. The same might go for specialist luxury Christmas teas.
However, only a minority (less than 10%) of those polled were willing to spend more than twenty pounds on a calendar – and just 1% were willing to spend more than a hundred.
The Evolution of Advent Calendars
Like so much of what makes a modern Christmas, the advent calendar can be traced back to Germany, where, during the early 19th century, Christians would count down the days of the month of Advent by making marks on their walls. Eventually, they began to hang images, instead, and by the middle of the century the first recognisable calendars had begun to emerge.
Later, printed calendars emerged – followed by the now-traditional doors. It wasn’t until the 1950s, more than a century after the first calendars emerged, that chocolate and other gifts came to be added to the calendars. Now, the tradition might be more-or-less inseparable from that of giving gifts at Christmas more generally. If you live with a partner, for example, you might start the month by presenting one another with Advent calendars.
A Grown-Up Tradition: Why Adults Love Advent Calendars
So, what’s behind the more recent shift toward ‘adult’ advent calendars? There are a few trends worth recognising. Modern adults are less likely to have children in the house – and the YouGov research indicates that people who aren’t parents or guardians are more likely to buy calendars for themselves than those who are (25% vs 15%).
There’s also a widespread cultural shift toward self-care and rituals. The feeling of opening a calendar, and taking a moment out of the day to do something just for yourself, is increasingly being recognised and valued by consumers.